tooth (redirected from fought tooth and nail)

*clean as a hound's tooth and *clean as a whistle 

1. Rur. Cliché very clean. (*Also: as ~.) After his mother scrubbed him thoroughly, the baby was as clean as a hound's tooth. The car was as clean as a whistle after the Girl Scouts washed it.

2. Rur. Cliché innocent and free from sin or wrong. (*Also: as ~.) Jane's record was clean as a whistle; she had never committed even the smallest infraction.

See also: clean

fight someone or something hammer and tongs and fight someone or something tooth and nail; go at it hammer and tongs; go at it tooth and nail

Fig. to fight against someone or something energetically and with great determination. They fought against the robber tooth and nail. The dogs were fighting each other hammer and tongs.

See also: and, fight, hammer, tongs

go at one another tooth and nail

Fig. to fight one another like animals. (One another can also be each other.) The man and his wife went at one another tooth and nail. The children would go at one another tooth and nail almost every evening.

See also: and, another, nail, one

go over something with a fine-tooth comb and search something with a fine-tooth comb; go through something with a fine-tooth comb

Fig. to search through something very carefully. I can't find my calculus book. I went over the whole place with a fine-tooth comb. I searched this place with a fine-tooth comb and didn't find my ring.

See also: comb

have a sweet tooth

Fig. to desire to eat many sweet foods-especially candy and pastries. I have a sweet tooth, and if I don't watch it, I'll really get fat. John eats candy all the time. He must have a sweet tooth.

See also: have, sweet

long in the tooth

Fig. old. That actor is getting a little long in the tooth to play the romantic lead. I may be long in the tooth, but I'm not stupid.

See also: long

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a sweet tooth

if you have a sweet tooth, you like eating food with sugar in it It's things like chocolate and cake that I can't resist - I've got a real sweet tooth.

See also: sweet

be long in the tooth  (humorous)

to be too old

Usage notes: The older a horse is, the longer its teeth are.

I'd have thought she was a bit long in the tooth to be starring as the romantic heroine.

See also: long

fight tooth and claw/nail

to fight very hard to achieve something (often + to do sth) We fought tooth and nail to retain our share of the business.

See also: and, claw, fight

with a fine-tooth comb

if you examine something with a fine-tooth comb, you examine every part of it very carefully I'd advise you to examine your insurance policy with a fine-tooth comb to make sure you're covered if you take your car abroad.

See also: comb

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fight (somebody/something) tooth and nail

to use a lot of effort to oppose someone or achieve something We fought tooth and nail to keep our share of the business. They vowed to fight the new legislation tooth and nail.

See also: and, fight, nail

go over something with a fine-tooth comb also go through something with a fine-tooth comb

to examine every part of something very carefully My accountant is going over my tax return with a fine-tooth comb.

Usage notes: also used in the form fine-toothed comb

See also: comb

long in the tooth also long of tooth

to be very old Don't you think she's a bit long in the tooth to be a romantic heroine?

Etymology: based on the idea that teeth grow longer in some animals as they get older

See also: long