Long in the tooth

Obo | 14:45 Tue 18th Feb 2003 | Phrases & Sayings

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Why long in the tooth, surely peoples' teeth get shorter as they get older so what is the origin of this phrase?

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Cathy

It's to do with horses teeth. Their gums recede as they get older, giving the impression that the teeth are longer.

human gums recede too, so technically we do get longer in the tooth, at least longer in what can be seen.

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