blow one's wad
Spend it all
To blow one's wad is to spend all one's money or exhaust all one's resources at once: He blew his wad at the casino.
The phrase extends to using up energy, ammunition, or arguments prematurely: The prosecution blew their wad in opening statements.
Wad originally meant a roll of paper money, though the phrase now carries sexual overtones from wad as slang for ejaculate.
- spendPay out money
- splurgeSpend freely, impulsively
- burn throughConsume rapidly, completely
- depleteGreatly reduce supply
- jump the gunStart before permitted
rush · exhaust · squander · waste · drain · ejaculate · shoot one's load · overcommit · gamble · burn out · run out of steam · empty the tank · overexert · overreach · miscalculate · go off half-cocked · wear out · climax
blow one's wadsave
Protect from loss
economize · pinch pennies · scrimp and save · hoard · squirrel away
blow one's wadpace oneself
Control one's exertion rate
keep one's powder dry · ration · conserve · hold back · dole out
blow, blows, blowing, blown, blew, blower, wads, wadded, wadding