Would you like to let someone know that they should try their best to preserve their honor or reputation in the situation they're in? The phrase 'saving face' is one that could apply to what you're trying to say, though the saying does not translate well to all languages. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'saving face' is an expression that means someone should try their best to preserve their sense of reputation or honor.
If someone is said to 'save face' then they have kept their honor in a difficult situation or trial.
There are several ways to use the phrase 'saving face' including 'to save face' or 'saving face' with both alternatives considered valid.
The phrase 'saving face' can also be used in the denial to say that someone 'didn't save face'. When it's used in the denial form, it means that someone did not manage to save their reputation from something or someone.
The opposite of the phrase 'to save face' can be used to say that someone has 'lost face' instead.
The meaning of the phrase is used as 'face' to mean reputation.
The phrase can be used to refer to a single person or several, without any alteration to the phrase: one does not 'save faces' even when the meaning incorporates more than one person.
Example Usage
“The pictures of me at the work party last week were so embarrassing that I had to show up with a suit and tie just to make sure that I save face on Monday morning.”
“If you laughed at any point during their misfortunes while they were alive, then don't forget that you can always save face by sending a really big platter to their funeral.”
“If you want to save face after a bad date, take her some expensive flowers on the next one. Don't do what I did and ask out her best friends.”
“There's absolutely no way for a bachelor to save face if someone has already seen how they live by themselves. The only thing you can do is a complete reset.”
Origin
The origin of the phrase 'to save face' does not have its origin in English even though the saying is almost most common in the English language.
The phrase comes from Chinese, where the similarity between the pronouciation and meaning of the words 'lose' and 'save' are used to create a phrase with an entirely new meaning.
From the original Chinese meaning, the phrase means 'to protect [your own/someone else's] face from harm' – and thus, to protect someone.
The phrase is used in Chinese, but with the translation of popular Chinese proverbs to English the expression became common elsewhere.
One of the first credited usages of the phrase 'to save face' is given to English writer W. Somerset Maugham who used the phrase throughout the 1900s, and might have well given it more popularity in the Western world.
Phrases Similar to Saving (Save) Face
- [with a] brave face
Phrases Opposite to Saving (Save) Face
- Losing face
What is the Correct Saying?
- [to] save face
- saving face
Ways People May Say Saving (Save) Face Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone might use the phrase 'to save face' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the saying.
The term 'to save face' is not common in many languages, and might not translate well to other languages if there is no equivalent phrase.
Someone cannot use the plural form 'to save faces', but the term 'face' is used even when referring to several people.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Saving (Save) Face
The correct way to say the term 'saving (save) face' is to use it as a direct reference or third-party reference that says someone has kept their honor.