Idiom: To squirrel something away;
used as a verb
 


First Example:
Kyle: I bought a car!
Elizabeth: Really?  How much are your monthly payments?   
Kyle: I don’t have any.
Elizabeth: What?! How?       
Kyle: I’ve been squirreling away a little money from each paycheck for years, and
it saved up over time!  When my last car
started having problems, I checked my savings and realized I had enough to buy
a used car.
Elizabeth: Great! Then you can drive to lunch!       



Meaning: The idiom “to
squirrel something away” is used to describe the act of saving or
hoarding for a future, similar to how squirrels save nuts for the coming
winter. The most common use of the
expression is used to describe saving money over a period of time, as in the
example above, when Kyle explains that he has been squirreling away money for
years. This means he has been saving
small amounts of money over the years, intending to use it at a later time. While
the idiom is primarily used for money, it can be used in other ways, as in this
example:

Carlos: It’s November. I guess it’s time
to start thinking about Christmas shopping.   
Ronda: Oh, I’m already done.
Chris: No way.
Ronda:
Yep. 
I start shopping for Christmas the day after. I keep an eye out for
potential gifts at great prices year round. There are so many great sales early in the year. Then I squirrel
them away until December so that I
don’t have to rush when the holidays approach and everyone else is going nuts.
Chris: Wow. So you’re saying the gift you give me this
year was probably bought in January?
Ronda: Who said you’re getting a gift?  I’m just kidding. But I think I bought your gift in March. 

Meaning: In this example, Ronda explains that she squirrels away Christmas gifts that she
buys on sale throughout the year. @SBLA @OC @NELA @DTLA

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