" Saved by the bell "
Meaning:
Saved by a last minute intervention.
Example:
That solar panel scheme was just about to be cancelled, then an environmentalist minister came in and it was saved by the bell.
Where did it originate?:
Britain, 18th century. Not connected, as is often thought, to bells attatched to coffins.
Where is it used?:
Hear the idiom spoken:
