Any port in a storm

Any port in a storm is a proverb that loosely means that when someone is in trouble they cannot wait for the perfect solution.

The original meaning of this nautical phrase was that a ship at sea in rough weather had no choice of harbor for shelter.

[1] The first known publication of the phrase was in a 1749 erotic novel: John Cleland's Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure.

"[2][3][4] The phrase "any port in a storm" was used to describe a private theatrical play hosted by Lord Eldon in 1809: it was reported in the Augusta Columbian Centinel.

"[6] In 1908, the phrase appeared in a popular song composed by Kerry Mills and Arthur J. Lamb entitled "Any Old Port in a Storm".