Meaning Missed the chance to take an opportunity.
Usage Worldwide.
Example
- I should have asked him for that loan when he was in a good mood. Now he's fed up because he's lost at golf and I've missed the boat.
Pronunciation
Idiom
Miss the boat
What does "Miss the boat" mean?
Missed the chance to take an opportunity.
Miss the boat
The origin of this expression is uncertain. An early 1930 reference describe it as an Americanism, but that reference is from England and there are no earlier known uses from the USA.