saving

dip into one's savings

Fig. to take out part of the money one has been saving. (See also dip in(to something).) I had to dip into my savings in order to pay for my vacation. I went to the bank and dipped into savings. There wasn't much left.

See also: dip

in the interest of saving time

in order to hurry things along; in order to save time. Mary: In the interest of saving time, I'd like to save questions for the end of my talk. Bill: But I have an important question now! "In the interest of saving time," said Jane, "I'll give you the first three answers."

See also: interest, time

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: grace

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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: grace