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.

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:.

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. 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. Rescued from a difficulty at the last moment, as in I couldn't put off explaining his absence any longer, but then Bill arrived and I was saved by the bell. This expression alludes to the bell rung at the end of a boxing round, which, if it rings before a knocked-down boxer has been counted out, lets him get up and continue fighting in the next round.

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. The literal meaning of saved by the bell is used in boxing matches or other timed competitions.

Add to word list Add to word list. Luckily my bus arrived before I had time to reply. Saved by the bell. Preserving and saving. Translations of saved by the bell in Chinese Traditional. See more. Need a translator?

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

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English synonyms. This expression alludes to the bell rung at the end of a boxing round, which, if it rings before a knocked-down boxer has been counted out, lets him get up and continue fighting in the next round. Italian grammar. These were known as 'safety coffins' and designs were registered in the 19th century and up to as late as ; for example:. My Account. 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. Boxing: Brough's battling display earns city plaudits. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. Tell us about this example sentence:. Browse save your breath idiom.

There is a widespread notion that 'saved by the bell' originated as an expression that relates to people being buried alive.

The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. Deliverance by the bell. Its origins from boxing and evolution into everyday language demonstrate its adaptability. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. English—Dutch Dutch—English. Submit Start Over. In boxing it meant the fighter has been knocked to the floor with less than 10 seconds to go in the fight. It refers to a situation where a competitor close to being defeated or disqualified is spared by the ringing of a bell that signifies the end of a round or segment of the competition. Share your opinions 3 Opinions. German to English. Follow us. Spanish grammar.