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Styler1 Posted 18 years ago
Vocabulary

save for?

"[blah blah blah], save for [something]."

Does 'save for' here mean 'except?' Is there some grammar behind it, or is it merely an idiom?
  

Top answer

Yes, it means 'but or except for'. It's a bit old-fashioned, although, it is still used in some formal texts.

— Zerox

  • Yes, it means 'but or except for'.
  • It's a bit old-fashioned, although, it is still used in some formal texts.
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9 Answers
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Yes, it means 'but or except for'. It's a bit old-fashioned, although, it is still used in some formal texts.
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ZeroxYes, it means 'but or except for'. It's a bit old-fashioned, although, it is still used in some formal texts.

I like it and use it whenever I can. [And, some would call me old-fashioned, but I can live with that. ]
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Oh me too, but its so painful to see people pull blank faces when I use formal idioms like 'save for' etc. I just had to google it to make sure I wan't the only one using it.
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Keep in mind, Anon, that 'formal idioms' appear primarily in written formats, not spoken ones. That's why you may draw blank responses.
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Primarily.. but not exclusively.
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Same here, my dad and I had a short debate on whether or not it was an actual saying, so I had to Google it to make sure he was wrong.
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It’s related to the French world « sauf » which is the masculine form of « safe ». I don’t know how « safe » became « save » but the meaning of « sauf » is « except » and it’s of very common use.
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