|
Reader question: Please explain “side jobs” and “keep me afloat” in this sentence: “I’ve just been working side jobs and things to keep me afloat.” My comments: “Side jobs” refers to other work than your main job. If you moonlight, that is, do anything extra in the evening (under moonlight) for pay after your day job, you’re doing side jobs. In other words, side jobs are part-time work in addition to your main job, often called full-time job. The more meaningful and interesting phrase to grasp here is the other: “keep me afloat”. That means for the speaker to be able to make ends meet. Obviously, we’re not talking about swimming here, but the water analogy is the thing to examine. Literally, to keep afloat is to remain above water, such as ships are described as being afloat (borne on water). Opposite that is for ships to run aground (hit the bottom of the lake and park by the bank) or sink (get submerged in deep water). Figuratively speaking, therefore, for people or companies to keep afloat is for them to keep their head above water, that is, to remain solvent, i.e. to make at least as much money as they spend. Opposite that is for them to go underwater, i.e. to go broke or bankrupt. As the world is still feeling the effects of the global financial crisis which began in earnest in 2008, perhaps it is time we all learned to remain afloat (or at the very least master this very vivid and useful financial term). | 
