bail someone out
Meaning: To rescue someone from trouble, especially by paying.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “His sister bailed him out when the rent came due.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Two images meet here: posting bail to get someone out of jail, and bailing water out of a sinking boat. The phrase became common in the 20th century, especially for financial rescues.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: sacar las castañas del fuego — literally: to pull the chestnuts out of the fire
- Italian: cavare le castagne dal fuoco — literally: to pull the chestnuts from the fire
More idioms — Daily Life
- a double-edged sword — Something with both good and bad consequences.
- blow the lid off — To expose a scandal or secret.
- be ahead of the game — To be in a better position than one's rivals.
- there are no two ways about it — The matter admits no doubt or alternative.
- a dime a dozen — So common as to be worth very little.
- fire the starting gun — To signal the official start of something.
More English idioms
- get out of hand — To become impossible to control.
- come what may — Whatever happens.
- bang one's head against a brick wall — To keep trying something with no result.
- have a whale of a time — To enjoy oneself enormously.
- get off on the right foot — To make a good start.
- turn one's back on someone — To abandon or refuse to help someone.