by the skin of one's teeth

English

Etymology

From Job 19.20. "My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth."

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Prepositional phrase

by the skin of one's teeth

(idiomatic) barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare.
I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.

Translations

barely, closely

Catalan: pels pèls
French: (Canada) par la peau des dents (fr), (colloquial) d’un poil (fr), par le chas de l'aiguille, de justesse (fr), (rare) à fleur de corde (fr)
German: mit knapper Not (de); mit Mühe und Not (de); um Haaresbreite; mit Ach und Krach (de) (informal); mit Hängen und Würgen (de) (informal)
Greek: παρά τρίχα (el) (pará trícha)
Italian: per un pelo
Norwegian:
Bokmål: på hengende håret

Russian: е́ле (ru) (jéle), е́ле-е́ле (ru) (jéle-jéle), едва́ (ru) (jedvá), едва́-едва́ (ru) (jedvá-jedvá), наси́лу (ru) (nasílu)
Scots: by a bawhair
Scottish Gaelic: air èiginn
Spanish: con las justas
Swedish: på håret (sv)
Thai: เส้นยาแดงผ่าแปด (th)

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