WORD POWER
A dangerous world
Prerana Trehan

The recent fire accident in a school in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu and the floods in Assam and Bihar have brought into sharp focus the threat to human life from both man-made as well as natural disasters. This week we look at idioms that have to do with danger.

Have a narrow escape: just manage to avoid danger or trouble.

We had a narrow escape when the driver of our car managed to swerve just in time to avoid a collision with a bus.

Do something by the skin of your teeth: only just succeed in doing something.

By finishing the race just a couple of seconds before his rival, he managed to win the gold medal by the skin of his teeth.

Rather/too close for comfort: so close in distance or similar in amount that it worries or frightens you.

He has been on the run from the law for long time now and whenever he feels that the police is getting too close for comfort, he adopts a new identity.

Cut it/things fine: leave yourself just enough time to do something.

If I start just now I can make it to the station in time to catch the train but it will be cutting things fine.

Set (the) alarm bells ringing: something worries you because it signals that there might be a problem.

I thought my son had adjusted to his new school, but yesterday when he came back with his front teeth broken, it set the alarm bells ringing.

Put your life on the line: risk death in order to achieve something.

Every day thousands of soldiers on the border put their life on the line to safeguard the country.

Risk life and limb: do something dangerous which might hurt you.

I am willing to risk life and limb to climb Mount Everest.

Your life is in someone’s hands: someone is completely responsible for what happens to you, often whether you live or die.

When I went into surgery, I felt as if my life was in the hands of the surgeons.

Hang by a thread: likely to fail in the near future.

Peace seems to hang by a thread in Kashmir.

On a knife-edge: in a difficult situation and worried about the future.

We have all been living on a knife-edge ever since we found out that a wanted killer has been seen in our neighbourhood.

(Reference: Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms)