It seems like I only ever encounter this grammatical construction when the speaker has narrowly avoided something \_bad\_ (or maybe better articulated as something \_undesirable\_) happening, and never in a positive manner.
Ex:
指切り落としそうになった。
吐きそうになった。
泣かしそうになった。
…is my read on this accurate? Or can this construction also be used for positive things that may have almost happened?
3 comments
https://www.edewakaru.com/archives/17545275.html adds to its explanation: よくない結果をさけることができたという意味を強調する, so I would say, you are right in your assumption that it’s used just with something bad.
>指切り
TIL: [Pinky swear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swear) started in Japan.
This grammar form was left out of Bunpro, which is mildly annoying.