spare someone's blushes

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spare someone's blushes (third-person singular simple present spares someone's blushes, present participle sparing someone's blushes, simple past and past participle spared someone's blushes)

1. (idiomatic) To save someone from embarrassment.
   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London, New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     He faced us as we assembled for breakfast with a deprecating false modesty in his eyes, as who should say, "I know that I deserve all that you can say, but I pray you to spare my blushes by not saying it." His beard bristled exultantly, his chest was thrown out, and his hand was thrust into the front of his jacket.

   • 2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds”, in BBC‎:

     Cesc Fabregas spared Arsenal's blushes with his late spot-kick

• put to the blush