smell like a rose
Escape all blame
To smell like a rose is to emerge from a situation with one's reputation intact or enhanced, especially when others have been tarnished or when blame might reasonably have attached.
The phrase often carries a note of skepticism—suggesting someone escaped consequences they perhaps deserved: Somehow he came out of the scandal smelling like a rose while everyone else got fired.
Also come out smelling like a rose or come up smelling like roses.
- fragrantEmitting pleasant smell
- squeaky cleanCompletely pure or innocent
- pure as driven snowCompletely virtuous and innocent
- white as snowExtremely pale comparison
- scentAirborne odor detected
perfume · aroma · untarnished · clear conscience · sweet · clean slate · clean hands · blamelessness · vindicated · fresh · integrity · bouquet · innocence · incorruptibility · good name · exonerated · untainted · odor
smell like a rosetake the fall
Accept blame for another
have egg on one's face · take the heat · suffer the consequences · get one's hands dirty · have blood on one's hands
smell, smells, smelled, smelling, smelly, smellier, smelliest, smelliness, like