By the skin of my teeth
“By the skin of my teeth” means only just escaping trouble or managing to succeed. The phrase appears in the biblical Book of Job, where Job describes surviving terrible suffering with almost nothing left.
Where it comes from
Job’s narrow survival
The expression appears in Job 19:20. Its strange image suggests survival with scarcely anything left, though the exact meaning of the ancient wording is uncertain.
In Book of Job, Job describes his wasted body and painful condition as he asks his friends to pity him rather than keep accusing him.
In Book of Job by Unknown
Only just succeeding
Today the phrase also describes a close success, such as catching a train or passing an exam by a tiny margin. It need not involve real danger.
In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg reaches the Reform Club just before the deadline for his wager. His arrival illustrates the kind of last-second success the phrase now describes.
In Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
How to use By the skin of my teeth
- Use it for an escape or success that nearly failed.
- Change “my” to “your,” “his,” “her,” or “their” as needed.
- Add the small margin or last-second detail.
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Do teeth actually have skin?
Teeth do not have skin in the ordinary sense. That makes the image a striking way to suggest almost no margin at all. The exact ancient image in Book of Job is uncertain, but the modern meaning is clear.
Is it only used for escaping danger?
No, it can describe any success achieved by a very small margin. It suits everyday situations such as narrowly meeting a deadline or barely passing a test, as well as more serious escapes.
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