be a close call —(also: be a close shave) said of a dangerous situation that a person just manages to avoid:
- Though he escaped with his life and his job, it was a close call.
be too close to call—said of the outcome of a competition, etc. that is very hard to judge:
- The horses came to the finish line in a dead heat, and, without a photograph, the results were too close to call.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be too close to home—(also: be too close for comfort) dangerously nearby; affecting a person intimately:
- A crime that occurred too close to home still has its grip on Chief Inspector Alan Banks.