Slip through the fingers..

For years, Charles Sobhraj managed to slip through the fingers of cops all over the world.

He had cleared the technical round but the job offer slipped through his fingers because of bad English speaking skills. The role was a client facing one and they needed someone who could communicate very well.

Try to think of an imagery about slipping through the fingers – it is in your grasp, you have caught it and then, all of a sudden, it slips through your fingers. Something which you almost achieved but then lost. Something which escaped your grasp. Something which you couldn’t achieve. That is the idea of slipping through the fingers.

Let’s take some examples:

1. The police laid an elaborate net for the capture of the dreaded gangster Mota Vakeel. However, he managed to slip through the fingers of the police team.
2. It has happened many a times that clear victory has slipped through the fingers of Team India. We can’t be a true world champion till we overcome this weakness – champion teams need to be able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and not vice versa.
3. The post of the college president slipped through his fingers when the dean raised the point of his attendance. No one with an attendance of less than 70% could hold a post.

Use it to describe something which you lost or something which you almost got but then lost.

Some more examples:

1. The title of Mr IIT slipped through his fingers when a rank newcomer upstaged him.
2. The honor of three Filmfare awards back to back slipped through his fingers as a senior actor grabbed the best actor trophy the third time.
3. The oppostunity to own a cheap house slipped through his fingers when he submitted the booking form a day late.
4. Charles Shobhraj was being transported in a bullet proof van in heavy security but he still manage to slip through the fingers of jail authorities.