Why do we say 'by the skin of your teeth'? | | The Bible has provided the English language with many curious phrases, including "by the skin of your teeth." | |  | Bennett Kleinman |
|
| |  | | I f you're looking for an answer as to the origins of the phrase "by the skin of your teeth," you won't find it in an anatomy textbook. Instead, the answer lies in a different type of book: the Bible. We can trace the origins of this toothy phrase — defined by Merriam-Webster as "by a very narrow margin" — back to the 1500s.
One of the earliest English printings of this anatomically incorrect phrase — if not the earliest — can be found in the 1560 version of the Geneva Bible — a version that was popular among Protestants. More specifically, it's found in Job 19:20 as a literal translation of the original Hebrew: "I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe." A 1599 version of the Geneva Bible reads, "I have escaped with the skin of my teeth," demonstrating how the English language transitioned toward more modern spellings. |
| | Continue reading | |  |
|
Emoji Decoded | |  | | Basketball and Hoop | | | Meaning: Depicts a classic orange basketball.
Evolution: The technical name for this emoji is "Basketball and Hoop," but the basketball hoop that formerly displayed on some platforms is no longer in the image. If you need a hoop, the Wastebasket emoji 🗑️ works in a pinch.
Usage: [Text to a friend:] Meet me for 🏀 1 on 1 after class? |
|
| | Basketball and Hoop | | | Meaning: Depicts a classic orange basketball.
Evolution: The technical name for this emoji is "Basketball and Hoop," but the basketball hoop that formerly displayed on some platforms is no longer in the image. If you need a hoop, the Wastebasket emoji 🗑️ works in a pinch.
Usage: [Text to a friend:] Meet me for 🏀 1 on 1 after class? |
|
| |
Have you read? | |  | | The Everlasting | | | | There aren't exact rules as to how a story becomes myth and legend, but it must be told over and over again. The fictional knight Una Everlasting has become a legend, but she's not happy with her story. The historian Owen Mallory travels back in time and meets Una at a yew tree where they are forced to relive and tell the story again and again. It's twisty, emotional, and the most thoughtful fantasy novel I've read in years. | | | | Julia Rittenberg, Word Smarts Writer | | | | We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. |
|
| | The Everlasting | | | | There aren't exact rules as to how a story becomes myth and legend, but it must be told over and over again. The fictional knight Una Everlasting has become a legend, but she's not happy with her story. The historian Owen Mallory travels back in time and meets Una at a yew tree where they are forced to relive and tell the story again and again. It's twisty, emotional, and the most thoughtful fantasy novel I've read in years. | | | | Julia Rittenberg, Word Smarts Writer | | | | We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. |
|
| |
|
