"She was a little long in the tooth" mean?
2006-06-25 19:15:17 · 6 answers · asked by macybluedawn 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Other - Entertainment
She's old.
The expression derives from horses, of all things. As horses age, their gums recess, which is the origin of the practice of examining a horse's teeth to determine its age (and therefore value), a sort of early version of kicking the tires. (Horse traders, like used-car salesman, are not to be trusted.) An old horse's gums will have recessed so much that the roots of the teeth are visible, thus making the teeth appear longer--hence long in the tooth to mean 'old', and hence used figuratively paralleling figurative senses of 'old' such as 'past one's prime'
2006-06-25 19:18:15 · answer #1 · answered by gnomes31 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could mean that she needs to see a dentist, but truly it means that she is old.
2006-06-26 02:18:53 · answer #2 · answered by Pamela 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means the lady is old.
like when hamsters get too old and their teeth get long from no use.
2006-06-26 02:17:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thanks all, I would never guess that. I can't see the conection with old and long in the tooth....?????
2006-06-26 02:19:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it means she's old.
2006-06-26 02:17:37 · answer #5 · answered by urbaneboheme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
gnomes 31 already answered it
2006-06-26 02:40:46 · answer #6 · answered by rinkydink 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋