(you) can't take it with you (when you go)

(you) can't take it with you (when you go)

A warning against materialism that alludes to the fact that you can't keep your money or possessions when you die. It doesn't matter how much money you make in your lifetime—you can't take it with you when you go. Quit buying so much expensive stuff! You can't take it with you!See also: take

(You) can't take it with you.

Prov. Cliché Since you cannot take your wealth with you when you die, you ought to enjoy it while you're alive. Go ahead, splurge a little while you've got it. You can't take it with you. Henry: Sure, I spent a fortune on this car. Can't take it with you, you know. Rachel: And this way, you can share it with your friends.See also: take

you can't take it with you

Enjoy material things while you're alive, as in Go ahead and buy the fancier car; you can't take it with you. This phrase gained currency as the title of a very popular play (1936) by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart and of the 1938 film based on it. [First half of 1800s] See also: take

you can't take it with you

It’s of temporal value; you may as well enjoy it now. This phrase dates from the early nineteenth century. Frederick Marryat used it in Masterman Ready (1841): “He was very fond of money; but that they said was all the better, as he could not take it away with him when he died.” The expression gained even wider currency when George Kaufman and Moss Hart used it as the title for one of their great comedies (1937).See also: take