1 week ago - BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH meaning: 1. If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just succeed in doing it: 2. If you do…. Learn more.

June 9, 2026 - In the second clause, he uses the ... the teeth are set (Latin: os maxilla ... )". Therefore, Blumenthal argues, the correct reading is: "My skin and flesh cling to my bones, and I am left with (only) my skull", giving a stark description of the advanced stage of Job's disease. In modern times, "by the skin of ...

Just barely, very narrowly, as in Doug passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. A related term appears in the Bible (Job 19:20), where Job says, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” presumably meaning he got away with nothing at all. Today the phrase using by is used most often to ...

By this point, Job has suffered through an illness that has left him very thin (skin and bones) but he expresses thanks that he has “escaped with the skin of my teeth”. So the phrase has come to mean barely avoiding something (usually something bad) or barely succeeding at something.

September 11, 2016 - We use the expression “by the skin of my teeth” as a synonym for “barely” or “narrowly.” It is most commonly used to describe a closely-fought but narrow victory or a close but ultimately harmless encounter with danger.

Answer (1 of 11): It doesn't mean anything. You've confused two separate expressions, and run them together into one. 'By the skin of your teeth' means 'only just' or 'by an extremely thin margin'. It's usually used in the context of escaping: "I got away by the skin of my teeth" means "I just ...

March 15, 2023 - If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just manage to do it. It’s unclear exactly where the phrase originated, but is believed to come from the book of Job in the Bible.

by the skin of one's teeth · Definition of by the skin of one's teeth · as in slightly by a very small margin They won the contest by the skin of their teeth. Synonyms & Similar Words · Relevance · slightly · just · barely · narrowly ...

We escaped the raging rioters by the skin of our teeth. Origin: This phrase first appeared in English in 1560 in the Geneva Bible, in Job 19:20. It provides a literal translation of the original Hebrew. Since teeth have no skin, the expression refers to the smallest possible measure. ... The origin of the phrase comes from Job who was afflicted with a skin disease on his entire body – except his gums.

Answer (1 of 10): Wikipedia explains the phrase well. It tells you where it has come from and what’s its modern sense: “Skin of my teeth (Hebrew: ע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי‎ ‘ō-wr šin-nāy) is a phrase from the Bible. In Job 19:20, the King James Version of the Bible says, "My bone ...

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Synonyms for by the skin of one's teeth include barely, narrowly, just, only just, by a whisker, by a nose, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, slightly and marginally. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!

January 17, 2026 - Prominent American preacher Thomas ... in Brooklyn Tabernacle, where he analogized Job's suffering to modern believers' narrow escapes from sin and adversity, emphasizing moral resilience....

(By an amount equal to the thickness of the (imaginary) skin on one's teeth.) I got through calculus class by the skin of my teeth. I got to the airport a few minutes late and missed the plane by the skin of my teeth.

October 17, 2025 - Some theorize that the “skin” in question refers to gums, while others say it refers to the enamel coating on teeth. There are also Greek translations of the original Hebrew that imply it refers to the lips. But metaphorically, the biblical phrase is usually interpreted to suggest that Job barely escaped his trials and tribulations, which is similar to how we use the phrase today. ... Because the Geneva Bible was used by so many prominent English speakers (including William Shakespeare), the phrase soon entered the collective lexicon.

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May 16, 2009 - Q From Cindy Bean: I was born and raised in Maine and still live there. Quite often I hear the expression by the skin of my teeth. We usually say it when we have done something just in the nick or time or avoided something by a very narrow margin. It doesn’t make much sense and is rather ...

If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you just manage to do it. He won, but only by the skin of his teeth.

I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.