Long in the Tooth
Long in the tooth means old, or past one’s prime. The saying comes from the old-horse trade-world, where a horse’s gums recede with age and its teeth appear longer.
Be honest with you... whenever I use 'long in the tooth,' I always think of that rat in 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' one of my favorite movies of all time. Be honest with you... whenever I use 'long in the tooth,' I always think of that rat in 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' one of my favorite movies of all time. Pronunciation
/lɔːŋ ɪn ðə tuːθ/
Meaning & Usage
- Describing someone or something as getting older or outdated
You still playin’ in the band?Yep - though I’m gettin’ kinda long in the tooth for a two-hour encore.Origin
The phrase comes from 19th-century (and earlier) horse-trading culture: when assessing a horse’s age, one looked at the gums and teeth-older horses often had receding gums making their teeth appear longer. Therefore a horse "long in the tooth" meant it was older. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Over time the phrase passed into human metaphor: someone being "long in the tooth" means they’re getting on in years or past their youthful prime.
Verdict: Southernish. The rural-animal imagery fits Southern talk easily, but the phrase is common across English and not unique to the South.
Notes
- Used humorously or gently to say someone is older or getting older.
- Used of objects or trends too: "That car’s getting kinda long in the tooth."
- Because of its horse-trade origin, it works well in rural or country settings.
- Still common in everyday speech and writing - older stereotype but still handy.