Understanding 今回は惜しいのでセーフということにしておきます


> 寿季「初めて出会った時のこと、覚えてます？」
>
> エレナ「ええ。覚えているわ」
>
> エレナ「寿季が私にぶつかって、読んでいた本を落としてしまったのよね」
>
> 寿季「いや、ぶつかったのは別の生徒で、俺は通りがかっただけです」
>
> エレナ「……間違いは誰にでもあるわ」
>
> 寿季「 **今回は惜しいのでセーフということにしておきます** 」

I would translate the bold part sentence literally as "Since this time it is
regrettable that your answer is wrong, I would take it as a safe". But I was
told by a native speaker that this sentence actually means "Your answer is
wrong, but I don't care."

Could you please explain why the sentence means that? I can’t tell it from its
literal meaning. I guess it’s because I don’t understand the word セーフ.

And if the sentence implies "but", why is ので used? Shouldn’t it be のに?




This セーフ is an antonym for アウト, and I believe they are from _safe_ and _out_
as baseball terms. セーフ means "close/questionable but barely
acceptable/legal/successful", whereas アウト means "close/questionable but
wrong/unacceptable/illegal". They are typically used in the context of the
application of rules/laws.

惜しい is not "regrettable" but "close (but wrong)" here. This is typically used
in the context of quiz.

So 今回は惜しいのでセーフということにしておく means "It's wrong but close enough, so this time, I
will {ignore this / overlook it / consider it not a mistake}".

