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I'd like to know how a French speaker might express this, especially when nothing specific follows it, e.g.

One of these things is usually enough, but I've bought a second one, just in case.

Un seul de ces machins suffit normalement, mais j'en ai acheté un deuxième, …

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23

Au cas où. Grammatically, one should complete with the situation where it would be useful, but it is very common not to expand it.

Un seul de ces machins suffit normalement, mais j'en ai acheté un deuxième, au cas où…

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    Could raisonably be written juste au cas où to match **just** in case.
    – F. Hauri - Give Up GitHub
    Commented Jan 5, 2013 at 0:30
  • While there are not completing phrase, Frenchies like to terminate with tree dots, like this: in case...
    – F. Hauri - Give Up GitHub
    Commented Jan 5, 2013 at 0:35
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Ou :

  • par précaution
  • on ne sait jamais
  • à tout hasard
  • des fois que ... (familier)
  • tout peut arriver
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