# teething trouble

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/teething-trouble
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Synonym of teething troubles.

## Examples

- The new software has a few teething troubles.
- My new coffee machine has a bit of teething trouble with the water filter.
- We expected some teething troubles when we first opened the restaurant, but everything is running smoothly now.
- The new bus route is popular, but we are dealing with some teething trouble regarding the weekend schedule and driver shifts.
- Most couples experience some teething trouble when they first move in together and have to share a small kitchen.
- Although the project faced significant teething troubles during the initial launch phase, the team successfully resolved the technical errors within the first month.

## Origin

The term is a nineteenth-century metaphor drawn from the physiological process of a child's first teeth erupting through the gums. As the physical event is frequently accompanied by a degree of fever, restlessness, and general irritability, the phrase was adopted into wider English usage to denote the initial difficulties or minor malfunctions encountered during the early stages of a new project or the first operation of a machine.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.