close shave

English

Noun

close shave (plural close shaves)

1. A shave that is very short or near the skin.

   He used a new razor blade for a good close shave.

2. (figuratively) A near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.

   I had a close shave with somebody who pulled out in front of me on the road, but I swerved and managed not to hit him.

Synonyms

• close call
• close thing
• narrow escape
• narrow squeak
• near shave
• near thing

 

Translations

near accident or mishap

• Finnish: läheltä piti -tilanne (fi)
• German: um ein Haar Davonkommen
• Hungarian: (egy) hajszálon múlik/múlt/múlott, épp/éppen hogy/csak megússza/megúszta, meleg helyzet
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nestenulykke m or f, nære på

• Polish: no equivalent term in Polish, but see mało brakowało, było blisko, o mały włos (pl)
• Slovak: o chlp
• Spanish: escape por los pelos m
• Swedish: nära ögat (sv)

See also

• by a hair's breadth