E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Teeth.
From the teeth outwards. Merely talk; without real significance.
1
“Much of the … talk about General Gordon lately was only from the teeth outwards.”—The Daily News, 1886.
To set one’s teeth on edge. (See EDGE.)
2
He has cut his eye-teeth. He is “up to snuff;” he has “his weather-eye open.” The eye-teeth are cut late—
3
Months.
First set—
5 to 8, the four central incisors.
7 to 10 to lateral incisors.
12 to 16 to anterior molars.
14 to 20 to the eye-teeth.
Years.
Second set—
5 to 6, the anterior molars.
7 to 8 to incisors.
9 to 10 to bicuspids.
11 to 12 to eye-teeth.
In spite of his teeth. In opposition to his settled purpose or resolution. Holinshed tells us of a Bristol Jew, who suffered a tooth to be drawn daily for seven days before he would submit to the extortion of King John. (See JEW’S EYE.)
4
“In despite of the teeth of all the rhyme and reason.”—Shakespeare: Merry Wives of Windsor, v. 4.
To cast into one’s teeth. To utter reproaches.
5
“All his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learned, and conned by rote,
To cast into my teeth.”
Shakespeare: Julius Cœsar, iv. 3.
The skin of his teeth. (See SKIN.)
6
Teeth. The people of Ceylon and Malabar used to worship the teeth of elephants and monkeys. The Siamese once offered to a Portuguese 700,000 ducats to redeem a monkey’s tooth.
7
Wolf’s tooth. An amulet worn by children to charm away fear.
