by the skin of one's teeth en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
* From Job 19.20. "My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth."
Meanings
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(idiomatic) Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.
I would have liked to have hung around in Birmingham, but my connections are tight owing to a points failure, and I make the CrossCountry Class 170 to Derby by the skin of my teeth.
2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 57:I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.
Relateds
Synonyms
by a hair's breadth · with the skin of one's teeth
Translations (42)
da på et hængende hår (barely, closely) · sv på håret (barely, closely) · sv med blotta förskräckelsen (barely, closely) · pt por um fio (barely, closely) · lv par mata tiesu (barely, closely) · fi hiuksenhienosti (barely, closely) · de mit Hängen und Würgen (barely, closely) · fr par le chas de l'aiguille (barely, closely) · ca pels pèls (barely, closely) · ru наси́лу (barely, closely) · fi hädin tuskin (barely, closely) · pl o mały włos (barely, closely) · es con las justas (barely, closely) · fr d’un poil (barely, closely) · it per il rotto della cuffia (barely, closely) · fr par la peau des dents (barely, closely) · el παρά τρίχα (barely, closely) · cmn 勉強 /勉强 (barely, closely) · cmn 千鈞一髮 /千钧一发 (barely, closely) · fi nipin napin (barely, closely) · gd air èiginn (barely, closely) · th เส้นยาแดงผ่าแปด (barely, closely) · es dejando pelos en la gatera (barely, closely) · ru едва́ (barely, closely) · fi niukin naukin (barely, closely) · fi juuri ja juuri (barely, closely) · fr à fleur de corde (barely, closely) · fr de justesse (barely, closely) · de mit knapper Not (barely, closely) · de um Haaresbreite (barely, closely) · nb på hengende håret (barely, closely) · it per un pelo (barely, closely) · sco by a bawhair (barely, closely) · ru е́ле (barely, closely) · ru е́ле-е́ле (barely, closely) · de mit Mühe und Not (barely, closely) · es por un pelo (barely, closely) · ru едва́-едва́ (barely, closely) · pt por um triz (barely, closely) · de mit Ach und Krach (barely, closely) · ga idir cleith agus ursain (barely, closely) · es por el canto de un duro (barely, closely)