What does it mean to be long in tooth?
Getting on in years, old, as in Aunt Aggie’s a little long in the tooth to be helping us move. This expression alludes to a horse’s gums receding with age and making the teeth appear longer. [
What does it mean when something has tooth?
said to mean that something, such as an organization or a law, has the necessary authority or power to make people obey it.
What does getting down to the wire mean?
Definition of down-to-the-wire
: full of suspense especially : unsettled until the very end.
Is long in the tooth an insult?
If you describe someone as long in the tooth, you are saying unkindly or humorously that they are old or getting old.
What does wet behind the ears mean?
Immature
Immature, inexperienced, as in How can you take instructions from Tom? He’s still wet behind the ears, or Jane’s not dry behind the ears yet. This term alludes to the fact that the last place to dry in a newborn colt or calf is the indentation behind its ears. [
Can’t cut the mustard meaning?
(also can’t cut the mustard) to not be able to deal with problems or difficulties in a satisfactory way: If he can’t cut it, then we’ll get someone else to do the job.
What does the idiom running out of steam mean?
phrase. If you run out of steam, you stop doing something because you have no more energy or enthusiasm left. [informal]
What does beating around the bush mean?
to avoid giving a definite answer or position. Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story.
Why do we say 40 winks?
As a blink lasts for a fraction of a second, forty winks take a few seconds. Hence the phrase ”forty winks” has come to mean a few moments of sleep, or a very short nap, especially taken during the daytime, while not in a sleeping position.
Why do they say paint the town red?
Paint the town red
The phrase “paint the town red” most likely owes its origin to one legendary night of drunkenness. … The marquis and his pranksters later compensated Melton for the damages, but their drunken escapade is likely the reason that “paint the town red” became shorthand for a wild night out.
Why is it close but no cigar?
The expression, “Close, but no cigar” means that a person fell slightly short of a successful outcome and therefore gets no reward. … The phrase most likely originated in the 1920s when fairs, or carnivals, would hand out cigars as prizes. At that time, the games were targeted towards adults, not kids.
Why do they say scott free?
“SKOT” was an early Icelandic and Old Norse word for “payment” or “tax”. … Thus “scot-free” literally means “exempt from tax”; it has since been broadened to indicate “exempt from punishment” – as in “the prisoner got off scot-free”.
What does snakes in the grass mean?
treacherous person
noun. a treacherous person, especially one who feigns friendship. a concealed danger.
Where does the phrase elbow grease come from?
If your little brother complains that mowing the lawn is too hard, you might say, “It just takes a little elbow grease!” The English poet Andrew Marvell used the word in 1672, and in 1699 it appeared in the “New Dictionary of the Canting Crew” with the definition “a derisory Term for Sweat.”
Why do we say Bob’s your uncle?
“Bob’s your uncle” is a way of saying “you’re all set” or “you’ve got it made.” It’s a catch phrase dating back to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Cecil (a.k.a. Lord Salisbury) decided to appoint a certain Arthur Balfour to the prestigious and sensitive post of Chief Secretary for Ireland.
Why do we say my giddy aunt?
Giddy Aunts are the keepers of family stories and the tellers of wonderful tales, but what does the phrase “Oh My Giddy Aunt” mean? “Oh My Giddy Aunt!” was a popular English saying early last century, often used to indicate surprise in the days before less genteel expletives became more freely used.
What does the expression Bob’s your uncle mean?
Definition of and Bob’s your uncle
British, informal. —used to say that something is easy to do or use Just complete the form, pay the fee, and Bob’s your uncle!
Where does the expression hunky dory come from?
This American-coined adjective has been around since the 1860s, from the now-obsolete hunkey, “all right,” which stems from the New York slang hunk, “in a safe position,” and the Dutch root honk or “home.” The origin of dory is unknown.