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Ways to sneak this common phrase into your daily conversation
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You’re not a soldier, spy, or criminal, so why do people keep saying you “dodged a bullet”? Is it good or bad to “dodge a bullet”? It can be hard to figure out what this tricky English expression means, but we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for an explanation of the phrase, ways to use “dodge a bullet”, and related phrases!
Dodge a Bullet Meaning
The phrase "dodge a bullet" means that a person has avoided an unfortunate or otherwise undesirable circumstance. The saying originated in the 20th century when referring to soldiers avoiding physical injuries in battle, but it has expanded to mean something much more general.
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Ways to Use “Dodge a Bullet”
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Use “dodge a bullet” after you’ve avoided an unwanted event. If you’ve snuck out of the house and came back just in time so your mom wouldn’t know, you could say you “dodged a bullet”. The unwanted event you escaped was your mom finding out and being upset with you. [2] X Research source -
Use “dodge a bullet” after you’ve avoided an injury or accident. Say while doing a new skateboard trick, you fall on your arm and have to be taken to the hospital. The doctor might tell you you’ve “dodged a bullet” if the x-ray shows you didn’t break your arm. [3] X Research source -
Use “dodge a bullet” after avoiding a bad romantic situation. If the new person you’ve been seeing recently suddenly breaks up with you, but your friend later tells you they’re a serial cheater, you might say you “dodged a bullet”. The unwelcome situation you avoided is continuing a relationship with a cheater. [4] X Research source
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A “close call” is also a lucky avoidance of an undesirable event. If something is a “close call” it means the unwelcome situation almost happened, but didn’t. The expressions “close call” and “dodge a bullet” will often be used interchangeably, or together because they mean the same thing. If your friend says you’ve “dodged a bullet,” you might reply “Oh yeah, that was a close call.” [5] X Research source- Your friend: “On the way to work, a car ran a red light and almost hit me! They braked just in time.”
- You: “Oh my gosh, what a close call!”
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A “narrow escape” also means to have averted danger. To “narrowly escape” is to have barely avoided a dangerous situation. This expression is very similar to “close call” and is another phrase you might hear said with, or in place of, “dodge a bullet”. [6] X Research source- You: “I almost tripped down the stairs, but I caught myself on the railing.”
- Your friend: “You narrowly escaped falling down a whole flight of stairs then!”
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References
- ↑ https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/dodge+the+bullet.html
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dodge-a-bullet
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dodge-a-bullet
- ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dodged%20a%20Bullet
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20call
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow%20escape
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