# Long in the Tooth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533 "2005-10-10T09:46:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/1 "2005-10-10T09:46:20Z")
What is the meaning of this expression, “long in the tooth”? Does that mean experienced? Or, something that goes way back, like an old friendship? Can you use it in a sentence for me? (As you can tell, I’ve never heard this expression until recently.) - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/2 "2005-10-10T10:05:26Z")
My dentist told me it relates to the gums receding as we age thus the teeth look longer. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/3 "2005-10-10T10:07:10Z")
Maybe he does [horses](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19961217) as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/4 "2005-10-10T10:11:11Z")
Thanks for the background of its origin, but what does it mean when people use it casually, and how would one use it in a sentence…as I’ve only caught this expression in passing. I forget the context. Thanks again, Jinx ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/5 "2005-10-10T10:22:39Z")
As the link says : Long in the tooth means ‘elderly; old’, and by extension ‘past one’s prime; over the hill’. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/6 "2005-10-10T11:21:29Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > As the link says : > > Long in the tooth means ‘elderly; old’, and by extension ‘past one’s prime; over the hill’. It’s also the basis of the phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”. If you did, you could tell the age of the horse by the length of it’s teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/7 "2005-10-10T11:27:36Z")
So someone might say something like, “_My car is starting looking a bit long in the tooth_” meaning it is looking old and shabby. > [@Jinx](#): > > Thanks for the background of its origin, but what does it mean when people use it casually, and how would one use it in a sentence…as I’ve only caught this expression in passing. I forget the context. > > Thanks again, > Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/8 "2005-10-10T14:50:33Z")
I seem to recall reading something about it being derived from the way elephant tusks grow as they age, and in some cases with really, really old elephants, the tusk curled around and penetrated the skull. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-in-the-tooth/325533/9 "2005-10-10T14:58:51Z")
[These](http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/SongsIndex.html) song lyrics get the meaning of the phrase across aptly. (I love that [show](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Foot_in_the_Grave)!)