long in the tooth
Old; aged.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That old car is getting a bit long in the tooth.”
“You look long in the tooth for a professional athlete.”
“My computer is getting long in the tooth, so it takes forever to open simple files.”
“Even though the manager is long in the tooth, his deep experience helps the company navigate difficult financial periods that younger staff might struggle with.”
“Although the actor is becoming long in the tooth, he still delivers a powerful performance that captivates the entire audience.”
disputed origin
The idiom is likely a product of the equestrian trade, derived from the practice of estimating a horse’s age by the length and angle of its teeth. As a horse matures, its gums recede and its incisors appear longer and more rectangular, eventually meeting at a notably steep angle. This physiological shift provided a visual metric for buyers, though the story remains a probable rather than a definitive origin. A similar logic informs the advice not to look a gift horse in the mouth, suggesting that the dental health of a free animal is a matter of secondary importance.
- 01
a little of something goes a long way
Only a small amount of something is usually required to produce a great effect.
- 02
a week is a long time in politics
In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.
- 03
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.
- 04
as the day is long
Unceasingly; very; thoroughly; to a very high degree.
- 05
clean as a hound's tooth
Very clean.
- 06
come a long way
To make significant progress.
- 07
draw a long bow
To lie; to exaggerate.
- 08
draw the long bow
To exaggerate; to tell tall tales.
Last updated August 10, 2026