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Saved by the bell
You are saved by the bell if you are saved from a difficult situation at the last minute.There are a few theories how the idiom came about. One is that it refers to a school bell or a competition bell that signals the end of class or the current competition.
The more interesting, but possibly less accurate theory is that it came from people's fear of being buried alive in a cemetery, and people were buried with a string tied to their finger and then to a bell above ground, and ringing the bell meant people would come save you.
She forgot to prepare for the presentation, but a fire drill was called and she was saved by the bell
Scraping the bottom of the barrel
Scraping the bottom of the barrel means using the worst options because nothing better is left. It describes a situation where someone has run out of good choices.The expression comes from the days when food such as salted fish or pickles was stored in wooden barrels. Once the good pieces were taken, people had to scrape the bottom to get what remained.
If those are the best candidates they could find, they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
See eye to eye
To see eye to eye means to completely agree with someone about something. If people do not see eye to eye, they disagree or have different opinions.The expression comes from the idea of two people looking directly at each other with their eyes level, suggesting they share the same view or understanding. The phrase has been used in English for several centuries.
My brother and I do not always see eye to eye about how to run the business.
Set the record straight
To set the record straight means to correct a mistake or false story by explaining what really happened.The expression comes from record keeping and accounting. If information in a record book was wrong, it had to be corrected so the record showed the true facts.
She called the meeting to set the record straight about what had happened.
Single point of failure
A single point of failure is one part of a system that can cause the entire system to stop working if it fails.The term comes from engineering and computer systems design. Engineers try to avoid single points of failure by adding backup parts or alternate paths so the system can keep working if one part breaks.
The only bridge into the town was a single point of failure during the storm.
Sit on your hands
To sit on your hands means to do nothing when you should be taking action. It is used when someone waits, avoids helping, or chooses not to get involved.The expression comes from the image of a person literally sitting on their hands so they cannot use them. It suggests stopping yourself from acting, even when something needs to be done.
We cannot just sit on our hands while the roof keeps leaking.
Skeleton in the closet
A skeleton in the closet means a secret from someone's past that they try to hide because it would embarrass them or cause trouble if others found out.This idiom comes from the image of a hidden skeleton locked away in a closet. It suggests a dark or shameful secret that someone does not want anyone else to discover.
Every family seems to have a skeleton in the closet they prefer not to talk about.
Slip through your fingers
To have something slip through your fingers means to lose something because you were unable to hold onto it or stop it from happening. This idiom is used to describe missed chances, lost opportunities, or things that gradually disappear despite your efforts.The phrase comes from the image of trying to hold something small, like sand or water, that slowly falls between your fingers. Because it cannot be easily held, it becomes a metaphor for something that cannot be kept.
The job offer slipped through his fingers when he missed the deadline to reply.
So far, so good
So far so good means that everything has been going well up to now. This idiom is used when a task or situation is working out as planned so far.The expression has been used in English since at least the 1800s. It reflects the idea that although the result is not known yet, the progress until now has been successful.
The cakes are baking nicely and have not burned yet, so far so good.
Spanner in the works
A spanner in the works or wrench in the works means something that unexpectedly causes a problem and stops a plan from working properly.The expression comes from machinery. If a spanner/wrench falls into moving gears, it can jam the mechanism and stop the machine from working.
The sudden power outage threw a spanner in the works for the event.