saving

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

save (one's) own bacon

To rescue or protect oneself from danger, trouble, or difficulty, usually without regard or concern for the welfare of others. In the face of the IRS audit, the CEO was more concerned with saving his own bacon than ensuring his employees' jobs remained secure. Just be sure not to leave yourself exposed in this scandal—you can be sure that the senator is looking to save her own bacon, and you should be doing the same.

save (one's) own hide

To rescue or protect oneself from danger, trouble, or difficulty, usually without regard or concern for the welfare of others. In the face of the IRS audit, the CEO was more concerned with saving his own hide than ensuring his employees' jobs remained secure. Just be sure not to leave yourself exposed in this scandal—you can be sure that the senator is looking to save her own hide, and you should be doing the same.

save (one's) own neck

To rescue or protect oneself from danger, trouble, or difficulty, usually without regard or concern for the welfare of others. In the face of the IRS audit, the CEO was more concerned with saving his own neck than ensuring his employees' jobs remained secure. Just be sure not to leave yourself exposed in this scandal—you can be sure that the senator is looking to save her own neck, and you should be doing the same.

saving grace

A redeeming quality of something or someone. The only saving grace about that house is the large eat-in kitchen. Aunt Gertrude's incessant talking can be annoying, but her kindness is her saving grace—I know that she would help us with anything, no questions asked.

skimp and save

To reduce or limit one's spending in order to save money. I'd love to go out to dinner with you, but I'm really skimping and saving right now. I'm sorry, honey, but your father and I can't afford to buy you a new bike right now—you'll have to work more hours and skimp and save.

save (one's) blushes

To prevent someone from feeling embarrassed or awkward. Due to your family's great service to the crown, we will save your blushes and not create a public scandal around this debacle. I tried saving her blushes when she asked me to prom by saying I had no intention of going with anyone.

save (one's) own skin

To rescue or protect oneself from danger, trouble, or difficulty, usually without concern for the welfare of others. In the face of the audit, the CEO was more worried with saving his own skin than ensuring his employees' jobs wouldn't be put into jeopardy. Just be sure not to leave yourself exposed in this scandal. You can be sure that the senator is looking to save her own skin, and you should be doing the same.

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.

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."

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.

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.

saving grace, a

A redeeming quality, especially one compensating for drawbacks or negative characteristics. For example, She may not be too knowledgeable, but her saving grace is that she doesn't pretend to be . This term, dating from the late 1500s, at first referred to the concept of being saved from eternal damnation, and was used more loosely only from the late 1800s on.