- Meaning
- This idiom describes existing or continuing beyond an expected or natural duration, often with the implication that one’s time is limited or precarious, as if ‘borrowing’ extra moments from fate or death. It conveys a sense of fragility, urgency, or miraculous survival, typically used in medical, personal, or existential contexts to highlight a temporary reprieve from an anticipated end. The phrase carries a tone of poignancy, suspense, or gratitude, reflecting cultural awareness of mortality and the human instinct to cherish fleeting moments. It resonates in narratives of survival, recovery, or impending loss, capturing the bittersweet reality of living with an uncertain future, and often evokes a profound appreciation for life’s fleeting nature or a call to make the most of remaining time.
- Origin
- The phrase likely emerged in 17th-century England, rooted in religious and philosophical reflections on mortality, where life was seen as a temporary ‘loan’ from God, as noted in Puritan sermons. An early metaphorical use appears in John Bunyan’s *The Pilgrim’s Progress* (1678), describing a character living ‘on borrowed time’ after a near-death experience. The idiom gained traction in the 19th century, reflecting medical advances that prolonged life, as seen in Charles Dickens’ *A Tale of Two Cities* (1859), which explores themes of survival. Its use grew in 20th-century American and British English, particularly during wartime, when soldiers’ survival seemed miraculous, as documented in World War I memoirs. The phrase’s adoption was amplified by medical narratives, notably in cancer and heart disease stories post-1950s, and through literature, such as Ernest Hemingway’s *The Old Man and the Sea* (1952), which grapples with mortality. Its global spread came through media and medical discourse, and its evocative imagery, evoking a ticking clock, and its applicability to precarious existence ensured its enduring use across English-speaking cultures, from hospital rooms to philosophical musings.
- Variants
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- Live on borrowed time
- Living on borrowed time
- On borrowed time
- Exist on borrowed time
- Examples
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- After his heart attack, he felt he was living on borrowed time, cherishing every day.
- On borrowed time, she made peace with her family before the illness worsened.
- Live on borrowed time wisely—none of us know how long we have.
- Exist on borrowed time, the old car still runs despite constant breakdowns.
- He’s living on borrowed time, surviving the crash against all odds.
- On borrowed time, the company limped along after the financial scandal.
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