IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishclose shave
Meaning: A narrow escape.
Example: “The truck missed us by inches; that was a close shave.”
Other ways to say this
- English: By the skin of your teeth
German: um ein Haar Literally: By a hair
French: L'échapper belle Literally: To escape it beautifully
Origin: From the barber's razor: a very close shave came within a hair of cutting the skin. The figurative sense of a narrow escape is recorded from the early 19th century.
More English idioms
- clown around To act silly.
- come off it! Stop pretending or exaggerating; I don't believe you.
- cross one's fingers To hope for luck.
- cry uncle To admit defeat.
- cut and dried Already settled; routine or clear-cut.
- cut corners To do things poorly or incompletely in order to save money.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Testa di rapa A blockhead who isn't thinking.
- Du hast doch einen Vogel You're a bit out of your mind.
- Du gehst mir auf den Keks You're getting on my nerves.
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