By the Skin of One’s Teeth
Meaning: To narrowly escape or achieve something by an extremely slim margin, akin to a “close call” or “near miss.”
Synonyms:
- A close shave
- By a hair’s breadth
- A narrow escape
- Barely made it
Antonyms:
- With plenty of time to spare
- Easily accomplished
- Without breaking a sweat
Imagine fast-paced action films where the hero escapes unfathomable doom with seconds on the clock. That’s living by the skin of one’s teeth—barely, just barely making it, like your punctual-ever-so-good friend who shows up at the airport just as the final boarding call echoes.
❓ Did You Know? The idiom originates from a very ancient source—the Bible, specifically the Book of Job, where Job proclaims, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth," signifying an exceedingly narrow escape, considering our teeth have no skin!
Humor-Filled Quotes
“I was so late, the door almost hit me on the way in. Talk about arriving by the skin of my teeth!” — W. T. Wittywords’ collected quips
Proverbs, Expressions, and Related Terms
Proverbs:
- “A miss is as good as a mile.” - Close in a race still isn’t victory.
- “Better late than never.” - Declares it’s better delayed than absent.
Expressions:
- “Cutting it close.”
- “On the edge of my seat.”
- “Penny to a feather.” - An imaginary proverb, snickering on the slender-luck’s essence.
Literature and Cultural References
Books and Literature:
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — Where Holden routinely scrapes through tight corners.
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain — Encapsulates numerous narrow escapes.
Movies:
- Indiana Jones series — Particularly one too many cliffhangers that define this phrase.
- Die Hard — Perfectly summarized with: “Yippee-ki-yay, skin of those teeth escape!”
Songs:
- Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey — A hopeful anthem through tight corners!
Recommended Poetry:
- “If” by Rudyard Kipling — Inspires determination, often requiring bare-minimum-skin-of-molars moments through adversity.
Quizzes With Explanations
Farewell Note: Venture forward courageously, for life’s magnificent achievements teeter on the cliff’s edge, crafted meticulously by the “skin of our teeth.”
