Meaning
There’s no need to worry about or plan for a potential problem until it actually arises.
It’s used to postpone dealing with a hypothetical difficulty, encouraging focus on the present rather than speculative future troubles.
Origin
The saying is generally described as an American proverb that solidified in its current wording during the 19th century, though the underlying idea — that a traveler need not plan for a river crossing until actually reaching the riverbank — is a far older, commonsense observation likely to have arisen independently in many cultures with rivers and bridges to cross. It is sometimes loosely associated with 19th-century American writers, though no single, definitively documented coiner is established.
Examples
What if the client says no? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I’m not worrying about next year’s budget yet — we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
She didn’t want to think about the risks; she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
A: What if it rains on the wedding day? B: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it' mean?
There’s no need to worry about or plan for a potential problem until it actually arises.
It’s used to postpone dealing with a hypothetical difficulty, encouraging focus on the present rather than speculative future troubles.