don't buy green bananas

proverb

One should not make long-term plans, as one may not live or survive long enough to accomplish them.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. humorousOne should not make long-term plans, as one may not live or survive long enough to accomplish them.

    "I'm so old, I don't buy green bananas!" "Don't say that, Granma! You're not so old..."

    2010, Susan Lynn Meyer, Skating with the Statue of Liberty
    1 more example

    I don't buy green bananas anymore. I only buy one yellow banana, for I may not be around tomorrow.

    2010, Norman Molesko, Retiring and Senior Living...Experiencing the Second Half of Life

Origin

Refers to the time that it takes green bananas to ripen and become edible.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

don't buy green bananas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20buy%20green%20bananas

MLA

“don't buy green bananas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20buy%20green%20bananas. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “don't buy green bananas,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/don't%20buy%20green%20bananas.

Source: don't buy green bananas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.