skin (redirected from skinned teeth)

a banana skin (British)

something which causes or is very likely to cause embarrassing problems. The new tax has proved to be a banana skin for the government.

See also: banana

be skin and bone/bones

to be extremely thin. We saw a few stray dogs that were nothing but skin and bones.

See also: bone

be soaked to the skin

to be extremely wet. The rain was so heavy we were soaked to the skin after only ten minutes.

See also: soak

Beauty is only skin deep.

something that you say which means a person's character is more important than their appearance. She may not be conventionally pretty but you know what they say, beauty's only skin deep.

See also: beauty, deep, only

by the skin of your teeth (informal)

if you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just succeed in doing it. We escaped by the skin of our teeth. England held on by the skin of their teeth to win 1-0.

See also: teeth

get soaked to the skin

be soaked to the skin - to be extremely wet. I had no umbrella so I got soaked to the skin.

See also: soak

get under someone's skin

1. to annoy someone. It really got under my skin when he said women were bad drivers.

2. to affect someone very strongly in a way that is difficult to forget. Something about the haunting beauty of the place really got under my skin.

It's no skin off my nose. (British, American & Australian, informal, American, informal)

something that you say which means you do not care about something because it will not affect you. We can go in his car if he prefers. It's no skin off my nose.

See also: it's, nose

make someone's skin crawl

if something or someone makes your skin crawl, you think they are very unpleasant or frightening. Just thinking about the way he had touched her made her skin crawl.

See also: crawl

nearly jump out of your skin

if you nearly jump out of your skin when something happens, it makes you feel very surprised or shocked. I heard a loud bang and nearly jumped out of my skin.

See also: jump, nearly

save your own skin

to protect yourself from danger or difficulties, without worrying about other people. He saved his own skin by telling them his partner had taken the money.

See also: save

save someone's skin

to save someone from failure or difficulties. You saved my skin telling my parents I stayed with you last night.

See also: save

skin someone alive

to punish someone very severely. Sharon will skin me alive if I'm late.

See also: alive

There's more than one way to skin a cat. (humorous)

something that you say which means that there are several possible ways of achieving something. It may be illegal for them to organise a strike, but they can still show the management how they feel. There's more than one way to skin a cat, you know.

See also: cat, more, way

a thick skin

thick-skinned - if you are thick-skinned, you do not notice or get upset when people criticize you. As a politician, you get so much criticism levelled at you that you eventually develop a thick skin.

See also: thick

a thin skin

thin-skinned - if you are thin-skinned, you are too easily upset when other people criticize you. For someone who's always saying unpleasant things to other people, he's got a remarkably thin skin.

See also: thin

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get under your skin

to annoy you very much. He really got under my skin when he said women were bad drivers.

it's no skin off your nose

it does not matter to you. I don't care if he doesn't want to come to the wedding. It's no skin off my nose.

See also: it's, nose

make your skin crawl

to be very frightening or disgusting. Just thinking about the weird way he talked made her skin crawl.

See also: crawl

soaked to the skin

to be extremely wet. I forgot my umbrella and got soaked to the skin when I had to go out this afternoon.

See also: soak

(have) a thick skin

able to ignore personal criticism. People will tell you they don't like your clothes or your voice or the color of your eyes, so you need to have a thick skin to survive. During the two years he was the spokesperson for the police, he developed a very thick skin.

See also: thick

under the skin

as part of your basic character. They look like two people who would have nothing to do with each other, but under the skin, they have some things in common that surprise even them.