English Language & Usage Asked on March 2, 2021
What is an idiom (or a proverb) used in situations where a person calls upon another person to carry out an order (mostly of a non-official or non-enforcing type), which the second person tries to stall carrying out (could be any reason but usually it’s sloth), until someone, or something (usually in the nature of an act of nature), supervenes and deflects the onus of carrying out the order from the second person —that is, the second person, much to his or her delight, is naturally exempted from carrying out the order?
The expression (idiom) I am looking for is uttered by the first person in the question, often sarcastically or humorously, to remark on the fortuitous (for the second person) turn of events coming to the "aid" of the second person. The sought expression might carry an undertone of mild disapproval as well.
I’m confused as to whether the phrase you are seeking should describe the lethargic inactivity, or the reprieve provided by the supervening event? – pbasdf
@pbasdf— The latter – user405662
How about saved by the bell?
Correct answer by Pete on March 2, 2021
OK, you are making heavy weather of this question; I’ll bail you out.
- To pay for someone's release from jail. A person's name or a pronoun can be used between "bail" and "out." I have to go bail out my brother—the police picked him up again, and he's down at the precinct. Bailing my son out from jail was the low point of the year.
By extension, to get someone out of trouble or help them with a problem. A person's name or a pronoun can be used between "bail" and "out."
The analogy also works for bailing out in the sense of keeping a boat afloat in rough weather by bailing (removing) the water from it.
If the second person is relieved of the duty of completion by circumstance rather than by the first person, it may be said to be ”by happy chance”. This has overtones of “you should have done it, you haven’t done it, I don’t approve but, as luck has it, all is well”.
Answered by Anton on March 2, 2021
A fancy term for this is deus ex machina
... a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence Wikipedia
Also
"you got lucky"
"that was a (lucky) fluke"
"you had a lucky break"
"that was an unwarranted success"
"luck was on his side"
"he lives a charmed life"
Answered by chasly - supports Monica on March 2, 2021
The person intervening pulls the responsible person's chestnuts out of the fire.
chestnuts out of the fire, pull someone's
Succeed in a hazardous undertaking for someone else's benefit, with reference to the fable of a monkey using a cat's paw to extract roasting chestnuts from a fire.
Answered by Edwin Ashworth on March 2, 2021
Person 1 to Person 2: “Person 3 got you off the hook.
Or ... “Well, guess you’re off the hook now.
Answered by thehole on March 2, 2021
Person 1 to Person 2: "Well, it's OBE now."
OBE = Overcome by events.
Answered by Scooter on March 2, 2021
"How convenient." is often used for conveying the described sentiment in a sarcastic manner.
Answered by user408353 on March 2, 2021
"Force majeure" is one term that applies to the supervening act, perhaps referring to something so much larger as to wipe out all traces of the course of action (or inaction).
It can save ... or destroy. The sea, washing away your house, makes fixing the leaky gutters unnecessary.
Answered by Brian Drummond on March 2, 2021
"by a stroke of luck" works here.
Answered by Elie Hirschman on March 2, 2021
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