grace

airs and graces

false ways of behaving that are intended to make other people feel that you are important and belong to a high social class. The other children started calling her 'princess' because of her airs and graces. It's no good putting on airs and graces with me. I knew you when you were working in a shop! Look at you giving yourself airs and graces - think you're better than us, do you?

See also: air

a fall from grace

fall from grace - to do something bad which makes people in authority stop liking you or admiring you. He used to be one of the president's closest advisers before his fall from grace.

See also: fall, from

fall from grace

to do something bad which makes people in authority stop liking you or admiring you. When a celebrity falls from grace, they can find it very difficult to get work in television.

See also: fall, from

a saving grace

a good quality that makes you like something or someone although you do not like anything else about them. It's a small cinema and the seats are uncomfortable, but the saving grace is that people aren't allowed to eat during the film.

See also: saving

There but for the grace of God (go I).

something that you say which means something bad that has happened to someone else could have happened to you. When you hear about all these people who've lost all this money, you can't help thinking there but for the grace of God go I.

See also: but, god, there

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fall from grace

to lose your reputation or rank. After 12 years in power, the party has fallen from grace with voters.

Usage notes: often used as a noun phrase: His fall from grace began when FBI agents searched his home.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of fall from grace (= to lose the approval and protection of God), which happened to Adam and Eve in the Bible

See also: fall, from

in someone's good graces

benefiting from someone's good opinion. Marj would do just about anything to keep in Vinnie's good graces.

See also: good