a day late and a dollar short

A day late and a dollar short is another way to say too little too late. When a person is a day late and a dollar short, he has not only missed an opportunity due to tardiness, but also because he has not put forth enough effort. Originally, the phrase a day late and a dollar short most probably referred to not having enough money to avail oneself of something. The oldest known use of the phrase a day late and a dollar short in print was in 1939. The idiom was most certainly in common use before this, and probably has its roots in the general poverty common among most American citizens during the Great Depression. The idiom is very popular in the American South.