Idiom
Long in the tooth
If someone or something is long in the tooth, they are getting old, often too old for a particular role or use.
How people use it
People use it about people, animals and things: a laptop, a car, a TV show or a joke can all be long in the tooth. It is informal and a bit humorous, but said about another person it can sound unkind, so many people use it about themselves (I'm getting a little long in the tooth for all-night parties). Common patterns are getting long in the tooth and a bit long in the tooth. It does not mean having long or large teeth in a literal way.
Also said: getting long in the tooth.
Examples
- My phone is getting long in the tooth, so the battery dies by lunch.
- Dad says he's a bit long in the tooth to sleep on the ground at summer camp.
- The goalkeeper is long in the tooth, but his experience still saves the team.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from horses. As a horse ages, its gums slowly pull back, so its teeth look longer. Buyers judged a horse's age by looking in its mouth, which is also the idea behind the saying don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Long in the tooth was in use in English by the mid-1800s.
Check yourself
1. If a friend says her car is long in the tooth, what does she mean?
Answer: The car is old. Long in the tooth means getting old, not long or costly.
2. Where does the idiom long in the tooth come from?
Answer: Horses' teeth looking longer with age. As horses age their gums pull back, so their teeth look longer and show their age.
Similar idioms
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