 Re: idiomatic expression "missed the proverbial boat"
When you "miss the boat," it means you had an opportunity and you didn't take advantage of it. The saying is figurative, so sometimes people will add the word "proverbial", but it means the same thing either way.
"I knew Bill Gates in college, and he offered me the chance to invest in this company called Microsoft he was forming. I really missed the boat when I turned him down!" | 
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