close call

1. A narrow escape from or avoidance of a situation, often an unfavorable or dangerous one. It was a close call, but I managed to avoid hitting the deer that ran directly in front of my car.

2. A decision or judgment that is difficult to make due to each possibility being nearly equal in one's consideration. I'm sorry, it really was a close call, but we've decided to go with another candidate for this position.

3. A contest or competition whose winner is not clear due to very close competition or results that are difficult to distinguish. With the two candidates having nearly equal amounts of delegates, this election is going to be a very close call.

See also: call, close

close call

1. a very difficult decision Apparently it was a close call, but after a long debate the jury convicted her.

2. something bad that almost happened close shave Sam had several close calls while he was learning to drive with his dad.

See also: call, close

close call

Also, close shave. Narrow escape, near miss. For example, That skier just missed the tree-what a close call, or That was a close shave, nearly leaving your passport behind. The first phrase dates from the late 1800s and comes from sports, alluding to an official's decision ( call) that could have gone either way. The second, from the early 1800s, alludes to the narrow margin between closely shaved skin and a razor cut. (This latter usage replaced the much earlier equation of a close shave with miserliness, based on the idea that a close shave by a barber meant one would not have to spend money on another shave quite so soon.) Also see too close for comfort.

See also: call, close

close call

verb

See close shave

See also: call, close

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Mirjami	MEER-yah-mee	Finnish
Erasmus	-	Late Greek (Latinized)
&Aelig;Thelweard	-	Anglo-Saxon
Karla	KAHR-lah (German)	German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Croatian
Valerius	və-LER-ee-əs (English)	Ancient Roman
Gretta	GRET-ə	English