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.

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1 week ago - He escaped from the secret police by the skin of his teeth.

November 24, 2024 - Job has been summarizing his awful condition of rejection by God and all his friends and family. It is a wonder that he is still alive. He has escaped “by the skin of my teeth.”

The phrase was later used in literature, including in Shakespeare's play "Henry VI". It is used to describe a situation where someone has only just barely managed to avoid a negative outcome.

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 cleaveth to my skin and to...

Oh man, my car wouldn't start this morning—I just made it here by the skin of my teeth! The whole building exploded because of the gas leak. Thankfully, the crew escaped by the skin of their teeth. A: "Did Billy show up before the exam started?" B: "Yeah, by the skin of his teeth, thank goodness."

Answer (1 of 2): That’s not the idiom. He was lying through his teeth is one idiom. https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/291559/what-is-the-origin-of-to-lie-through-ones-teeth The skin of my teeth is a different idiom and it’s from the Bible! Skin of my teeth (Hebrew: עוֹר ...

→ skinExamples from the Corpusby the skin of your teeth• Jeff just got into college by the skin of his teeth.• The business is surviving, but only by the skin of its teeth.• The car broke down on the way to the airport and they just caught the plane by the skin of their teeth.

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 ...

July 26, 2025 - The idiom “by the skin of one’s teeth” is directly linked to the suffering of Job, a central figure in the Bible known for his immense suffering and unwavering faith. Job’s story is often referenced in discussions of endurance, perseverance, and the human condition.

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January 24, 2019 - 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.

2 weeks ago - 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.

August 31, 2023 - According to Barnes Notes on the Whole Bible, there are various interpretations of the phrase, such as only the skin around his gums was left by Satan so that Job could blaspheme God. Others interpreted it to mean that the skin about his teeth was keeping him alive, that he was completely emaciated except for his teeth, or only the enamel was left of his teeth because of his afflictions.

August 31, 2022 - This verse appears in the midst of a passage where Job is complaining about his trials and tribulations: My bone cleaueth to my skin & to my flesh, and I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe. The phrasing was repeated, with one minor change, in the 1611 Authorized or King James Version […] Its place in this translation is what secured its place as an idiom. But, as I said, it is an overly literal translation. The original Hebrew is בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּי (bĕʿōr šinnāi, with the skin of my teeth).

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.