etymology - Why do you survive 'by the skin of your teeth'?


If someone does something 'by the skin of their teeth', it means they just barely managed to do it. What is this idiom supposed to be referring to exactly, and how did it originate?



Answer



Because (of course) your teeth don't have skin, the expression



by the skin of your teeth



suggests 'by the smallest possible margin'.


This reference claims an origin in The Geneva Bible 1560.


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