Tooth and Toenail

In Southern and Appalachian speech, "tooth and toenail" is a colorful variant of "tooth and nail," meaning to fight, work, or struggle with everything you’ve got - a uniquely Southern twist on the old English expression.

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #OldTimers #Southern

synonyms: tooth and nail, fight hard, battle fiercely

Hillbilly Dude Says...

I've only ready 'tooth and toenail' - never heard this one in real life. So I'm assuming it's more old timers.

Pronunciation

[TOOTH ’n TOE-nail] /tuːθ ən ˈtoʊ.neɪl/

Meaning & Usage

- To fight or work as hard as possible (idiom)

Elmer:

We’ve been battling this fence line tooth and toenail since daybreak.

Estel:

And it still ain’t done. Reckon we’ll go again tomorrow.

variations: fought tooth & toenail, fighting tooth & toenail

★ Think of "tooth and toenail" as taking "tooth and nail" one step further - it’s all-in, from your teeth to your toes. ★

Origin

A Southern/Appalachian elaboration on the older English idiom "tooth and nail," which dates back to the 1500s. This variant shows up in Southern newspapers and oral histories in the mid-20th century, emphasizing a more down-home and colorful way of saying "with great effort."

Notes

Mostly found in the U.S. South and Appalachia.
Used for both physical fights ("We fought tooth and toenail") and metaphorical struggles ("We worked tooth and toenail to get the harvest in").
Rare outside the South except in writing that imitates Southern speech.

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Is "tooth and toenail" the same as "tooth and nail"?

Yes, but it’s a more colorful Southern/Appalachian way of saying it.

Do people outside the South use this?

Very rarely - mostly it appears in Southern contexts or to evoke a Southern feel.

How old is the phrase?

Newspaper and oral history evidence places it in the Southern U.S. by at least the mid-20th century as a folk elaboration on "tooth and nail."

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