pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire
This idiom originates from a fable by Jean de la Fontaine where a monkey tricks a cat into pulling chestnuts out of a fire, symbolizing taking risks for another's benefit.
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Definition
C1General
(informal)To rescue someone from a difficult or dangerous situation, often involving personal risk or effort.
Example
- She always ends up pulling his chestnuts out of the fire when he gets into trouble.
- He pulled my chestnuts out of the fire by covering my shift at the last minute.
C1Workplace
(informal)To complete a challenging task for someone else, often to save them from trouble.
Example
- I had to pull his chestnuts out of the fire by finishing the report he left incomplete.
- Whenever there's a crisis, she's the one who pulls everyone's chestnuts out of the fire.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire":