Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for A close thing for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is A-Close-Thing — noun phrase, pronounced /ə kləʊz θɪŋ/, with the stress on close.
Narrator: a close thing refers to a situation where the outcome was uncertain until the very last moment, often involving a narrow escape or a slim margin of victory.
Narrator: In plain English, it means almost a failure or a disaster but turned out alright just in time.
Narrator: The phrase derives from early British English usage, where close implies tight, and thing denotes the event itself.
Narrator: A common collocation is describe a close thing, which characterises a competitive sporting event or a tense tactical maneuver.
Narrator: It differs from a close shave, which specifically refers to a narrow escape from physical harm or danger.
Narrator: It is also used to describe a close thing finish in business, implying a deal that nearly collapsed before being signed.
Narrator: The phrase is frequently used in fields like journalism, sports commentary, and historical narratives of military operations.
Narrator: So remember: use this phrase whenever you want to emphasise that a result hung in the balance.
Speaker A: Why do people use the idiom a close thing to talk about their experiences?
Speaker B: It captures the suspense of a narrow margin, with A-CLOSE-THING originating from the archaic British sense of a thing being tightly held.
Speaker A: Is it commonly used to describe accidents?
Speaker B: Yes, precisely, it suggests a near-miss or a victory snatched from defeat.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: The election was a close thing, showing how tight the final polls were; that goal was a close thing, missing the post by mere millimetres; finishing the project was a close thing given our tiny budget.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: People often mistake it for close call, but ensure you include the word thing to maintain the idiomatic structure.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Near thing is a cousin, photo finish is a twin, and nail-biter is an alternative, yet this phrase keeps its distinctive charm!
Speaker B: Let's use A-Close-Thing in AI prompts — useful for generating dramatic creative writing and assessing risk analysis scenarios.
Speaker A: How do we apply it to thriller storytelling?
Speaker B: Start with a tense plot description.
Prompt: Write a scene where the protagonist defuses a bomb in a way that is clearly a close thing for the rescue team.
Speaker A: Can it help in business strategy reporting?
Speaker B: Yes, it creates a vivid tone for reports.
Prompt: Summarise the quarterly earnings report as a close thing, highlighting the factors that almost led to a missed deadline.
Speaker A: What about historical summaries?
Speaker B: It adds gravity to historical accounts.
Prompt: Explain the 1940 air battle in a tone that emphasises it was a close thing for the defenders.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Here is a final prompt for risk assessments.
Prompt: Create a list of five potential project failures that might result in a close thing if not mitigated immediately.
A close thing — meaning in Arabic & definition More A courses GL Dictionary