security blanket

security blanket

That which gives one a feeling of comfort, confidence, and safety. An allusion to the common practice of children to carry around blankets or stuffed animals to give them a feeling of safety. His beard had long been his form of security blanket—something he could hide behind, something he could change at will, something he could fiddle with when he felt nervous or uncomfortable. My father's financial status was like a security blanket. Whenever anything else in life was going wrong, he always took comfort in his wealth.

See also: blanket, security

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

security blanket

Something that dispels anxiety, as in I always carry my appointments calendar; it's my security blanket. This colloquial term, dating from about 1960, was at first (and still is) used for the blanket or toy or other object held by a young child to reduce anxiety.

See also: blanket, security

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

a security blanket

A security blanket is something that makes you feel safer and more confident. Everybody has a personal security blanket — it could be a handbag, a piece of jewellery or, if you're a guy, a moustache or a beard. For most of us, the lists we make act as security blankets, telling us what to do and how long to spend doing it. Note: A young child's security blanket is a piece of cloth or clothing which the child holds and often chews in order to feel comforted.

See also: blanket, security

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012