留后手

留后手

Literally means:

leave room for maneuver

Actually means:

leave oneself enough leeway for sth

后手 is a metaphor that refers to room for maneuver. The phrase means leaving leeway for or taking measures to cope with emergency or unexpected circumstances in advance. Similar to 留后路, its implied meaning is to be aware of unexpected happenings.

后手，比喻回旋的余地。

留后手，为应付可能发生的意外情况而事先留有余地，或预先准备好应对的措施。跟“留后路”一样，都有提防意外的意味。