saved by the bell idiom meaning

Saved by the bell idiom meaning

An allusion to the bell that ends the round in a boxing match saving a boxer from being counted out. Just when he was about to start yelling at me, the fire alarm went off and saved me by the bell.

The origination of the phrase comes from the world of boxing where the rounds are of a short duration and often boxers are saved because of the signalling of the bell to say that the round is over. The opposite party cannot throw another blow when the bell has rung and hence the other side is merely saved by something that happened outside rather than his own efforts. Share your opinions 3 Opinions. In boxing it meant the fighter has been knocked to the floor with less than 10 seconds to go in the fight. Old rules of boxing that has been amended for the Queensbury rules. This would make the popularization of this sentence to the point of becoming an idiom less likely. I really feel like saying something about how those pesky facts can unravel disputed origins pretty easily but, I lack tact and I can come off as a condescending prick.

Saved by the bell idiom meaning

There is a widespread notion that 'saved by the bell' originated as an expression that relates to people being buried alive. The idea was that, if someone were comatose and mistakenly pronounced dead and interred, they could, if they later revived, ring a bell that was attached to the coffin and be saved. The idea is certainly plausible as the fear of being buried alive was and is real. Several prominent people expressed this fear when close to death themselves:. Just as real were the devices themselves, several of which were patented in England and in the USA. These were known as 'safety coffins' and designs were registered in the 19th century and up to as late as ; for example:. The Improved Burial Case. Patent No. August 25, As well as a handy bell, Vester's device had the novel enhancement of a glass screen to view the coffin's occupant. Presumably the mourners could wave to the deceased and, if he waved back, they knew they were on to something. There's no evidence to show that anyone was ever saved by these coffins or even that they were ever put to use, and there's a similar lack of evidence of the phrase 'saved by the bell' ever being used in that sense prior to it having been used in other contexts. In fact, the expression is boxing slang and it came into being in the latter half of the 19th century. A boxer who is in danger of losing a bout can be 'saved' from defeat by the respite signalled by bell that marks the end of a round. Half a dozen times Flaherty was saved by the bell in the earlier rounds.

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An allusion to the bell that ends the round in a boxing match saving a boxer from being counted out. Just when he was about to start yelling at me, the fire alarm went off and saved me by the bell. See also: bell , by , save. Saved or spared from difficulty or misfortune by some intervention at the very last moment. The teacher was just getting ready to hand out the quizzes when the fire alarm went off—saved by the bell! Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. Alludes to a boxer who is saved from being counted out by the bell that ends a round. I was going to have to do my part, but someone knocked on the door and I didn't have to do it. I was saved by the bell. I wish I had been saved by the bell.

Saved by the bell idiom meaning

The origination of the phrase comes from the world of boxing where the rounds are of a short duration and often boxers are saved because of the signalling of the bell to say that the round is over. The opposite party cannot throw another blow when the bell has rung and hence the other side is merely saved by something that happened outside rather than his own efforts. Share your opinions 3 Opinions. In boxing it meant the fighter has been knocked to the floor with less than 10 seconds to go in the fight. Old rules of boxing that has been amended for the Queensbury rules. This would make the popularization of this sentence to the point of becoming an idiom less likely.

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A last-minute reprieve. Hindi English to Hindi. Here are a few phrases you can use to express sympathy and condolences. About the author English images. English—German German—English. Grammar English Easy Learning Grammar. The opposite party cannot throw another blow when the bell has rung and hence the other side is merely saved by something that happened outside rather than his own efforts. Mar 03, Note: This expression refers to the bell which signals the end of a round in a boxing match. English—Norwegian Norwegian—English.

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TV Top 5. English—Swedish Swedish—English. Alludes to a boxer who is saved from being counted out by the bell that ends a round. Quiz Mandarin Chinese confusables. Caught off guard. About the author Video pronunciations. Italian images. Traditional to English. English—French French—English.

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