Rate this phrase:0.0 / 0 votes

Close Shave

To escape a dangerous situation very closely or to avoid some errors with a slight margin

Etymology:

  • This term was used by Americans in the 19th century. This idiom has been derived from the practice of shaving. When a person is shaving with the help of razor, he is seconds far from a cut or burn. Any wrong razor move could lead to cuts. A shave delivers smooth skin if done carefully. It means that one can escape a dangerous situation very closely. There is no room left for an error in a close shave. This expression was given different meanings later and was used accordingly.
96 Views

The lookout crew on the Titanic thought they did not hit the iceberg and it was a close shave.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Additional definitions for 'Close Shave':

close shaveA near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.
close shaveA shave that is very short or near the skin.
See them all »

Translation

Find a translation for the Close Shave phrase in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to Close Shave

How to pronounce this phrase?

Discuss this Close Shave phrase with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this Close Shave definition to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Close Shave." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/close-shave_44574>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest human-edited phrases collection on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a phrases master?

    »
    In for a penny, in for a _______.
    A cent
    B game
    C pound
    D beer