Close shave

Meaning

The idiom "close shave" means to have a narrow escape, to just barely avoid a disaster or a difficult situation. It refers to a situation where a person or thing has come very close to an adverse outcome but has managed to avoid it by a small margin.

Usage

• She had a close shave when she narrowly escaped being hit by a car while crossing the street.
• The company's profits took a close shave during the pandemic, but they managed to pull through with some cost-cutting measures.
• The hurricane passed over their house with a close shave, leaving only minor damage.
• He had a close shave when he narrowly escaped being caught in a trap while on a camping trip.
• The plane made a close shave as it touched down safely on the runway.

Roots and History

The idiom "close shave" has been in use since at least the mid-19th century. It is believed to have originated from the literal meaning of having a close shave, which means shaving oneself too closely or too quickly, resulting in a narrow escape. The figurative meaning of the idiom came about as a result of people using the phrase to describe situations where they had come very close to disaster but had managed to avoid it by a small margin.

Synonyms in English

• Narrowly escaped
• Barely avoided
• Just made it through
• Made it out alive
• Avoided disaster by a hair's breadth

Synonyms in other languages

• En français : échappé par une fine bouche (literally, escaped with a close call)
• In German : knappe Entkommen (literally, narrow escape)
• In Spanish : salvarse por poco (literally, saved by a little bit)
• In Italian : sfuggire per un hair's breadth (literally, escaped by a hair's breadth)
• In Japanese : 儺しに出る (literally, survive by a narrow margin)

Similar Idioms

• chill pill

• class clown

• close, but no cigar