Come In Handy

Meaning of Idiom ‘Come in Handy’

To come in handy is to be useful or convenient.

Usage

Often used in the future tense. To say that something will come in handy means that it will turn out to be useful or become useful.

Examples of Use

“There are two things you should always have: Duct tape and epoxy. They always come in handy.”

“I know you don’t think you need to bring a heavy coat with you but trust me, it will come in handy where you’re going.”

Origin

The slang word handy means useful or convenient. We can understand the expression better by forming the question the idiom is answering: How does the hammer ‘come in? It comes in handy. Here, come in means to function or to perform.

Used since the mid-1800’s.

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