Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal · K

Keep your powder dry

Meaning

A reminder to stay prepared for a challenge or a conflict. It means to be ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Prepared, strategic

Used in a sentence

  • The market is too volatile right now, so I am keeping my powder dry.
  • We do not know what the next move is, so keep your powder dry.
  • Dad told us to keep our powder dry until the meeting started.

The backstory

This comes from the era of flintlock muskets. If the gunpowder got wet, the weapon would not fire, so soldiers had to keep their powder dry to remain combat-ready.

Heard in

Nationwide

Vibe check