save somebody's/your neck/skin/hide
(redirected from save your neck)save (one's) hide
To rescue someone from failure, danger, or disaster; to prevent something bad from happening to someone. Thanks for bringing me some extra cash—you really saved my hide, there! The company is in dire need of new investors to save their hide.
save (one's) neck
To rescue one from failure, danger, or disaster; to prevent something bad from happening to one. Thanks for bringing me some extra cash—you really saved my neck. The company is in dire need of new investors to save their neck.
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 someone's skin
and save someone's neck; save one's baconFig. to save someone from injury, embarrassment, or punishment. I saved my skin by getting the job done on time. Thanks for saving my neck! I would have fallen down the stairs if you hadn't held my arm.
save your skin
orsave your own skin
COMMON If someone tries to save their skin or save their own skin, they try to save themselves from something dangerous or unpleasant, often without caring what happens to anyone else. It looked to me like a desperate attempt to save his skin. It's an announcement that's got a lot more to do with the government trying to save its own skin than trying to help the victims.