简体

saving grace
可取之处

Quote

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Definition

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one thing that keeps a situation from becoming negative

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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Though the United States is home to many religions, and the government and government institutions are not religious, a number of English idioms have their origins in Christianity. Saving grace is one of them. In a religious sense, “grace” has to do with approval from a divine figure. Receiving grace from the divine means being forgiven and blessed.

A saving grace, then, is the thing that allows you to end up on the positive side of a situation. Maybe you’re terrible at most aspects of soccer, but you’re a terrific runner. Your ability as a runner is your saving grace. It’s what allows you to receive approval from your team. And that’s something like being blessed by a divine figure.

In this lesson’s quote, musician Phil Collins is discussing his many collections. He has many objects in his house that could possibly be appealing to thieves. His saving grace, the thing that keeps him on the positive side of the situation, is that nobody else cares about the objects he collects.

Think about an activity or a situation where you have been on the border between succeeding or failing, or between positive and negative. What was your saving grace?

Examples

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“I can’t believe I have an English exam tomorrow. My one saving grace is that I read the book in high school.”

“He’s so annoying, but his saving grace is that he has a really nice car.”

“My job is so boring. The only saving grace is that I get eight weeks of vacation each year.”