grace (redirected from gracing)

*in someone's good graces

Fig. in good with someone; in someone's favor. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) I'm not in her good graces so I shouldn't be the one to ask her.

See also: good

fall from grace 

1. . Lit. to sin and get on the wrong side of God. (A Christian concept.) It was either fall from grace or starve from lack of money. That's how thieves are made. Given the choice between falling from grace and starving, few people choose to starve.

2. Fig. to do something wrong and get in trouble with someone other than God. I hear that Ted lost the Wilson contract and has fallen from grace with the boss. The accounting firm has fallen from grace and the board is looking for a new one.

See also: fall

grace someone or something with one's presence

Fig. to honor someone or something with one's presence. "How nice of you to grace us with your presence," Mr. Wilson told Mary sarcastically as she entered the classroom late. The banquet was graced with the presence of the governor.

See also: presence

grace something with something

Fig. to adorn something or some place with something, especially a person's presence. The lovely lady graced our home with her presence. The stage was graced with flowers and a few palm trees.

graced with something

made elegant by means of some ornament or decoration. The altar was graced with lovely white flowers. The end of the beautiful day was graced with a beautiful sunset.

lapse from grace 

1. Lit. to fall out of favor with God. The child was told that if he ever smoked even one cigarette, he would lapse from grace for certain. It is easy, these days, to lapse from grace.

2. Fig. to fall out of favor. Ted lapsed from grace when he left the lobby door unlocked all weekend. I have to be there on time every day or I will lapse from grace for sure.

See also: lapse

saving grace

Cliché the one thing that saves or redeems someone or something that would otherwise be a total disaster. Her saving grace is that she has a lot of money. The saving grace for the whole evening was the good music played by the band.

See also: saving

say grace

to say a prayer of gratitude before or after a meal. Grandfather always says grace at Thanksgiving. A local preacher said grace at the banquet.

See also: say

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

Prov. I would likely have experienced or done the same bad thing if God had not been watching over me. (You can say this to refer to someone who has had bad luck; implies that the person is no less virtuous than you are but is now miserable purely because of bad luck, which might happen to you as well.) Jill: Ever since Julia's house burned down, she's been drinking heavily; she'll probably lose her job because of it. Jane: There but for the grace of God.... Whenever Sally saw a beggar, she thought, "There but for the grace of God go I."

See also: but, god

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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

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, and

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

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 fall from grace

See also: but, god

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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

in somebody's good graces (slightly formal) also in the good graces of somebody

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

See also: good