longer in the tooth

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiominformalhumorous

   Older than you used to be or than someone else, especially so as to seem past one's best.

   Grammar: Used after a verb like 'get' or 'be': I'm getting longer in the tooth every year.

   Patterns

   • be longer in the tooth than someone
   • get longer in the tooth

   I'm getting longer in the tooth, so I take the stairs more slowly.

   He is a bit longer in the tooth than the other candidates.

   As we get longer in the tooth, we enjoy quiet evenings more.

Common combinations

getting longer in the tooth

The coach is getting longer in the tooth but still loves the game.

a bit longer in the tooth

She's a bit longer in the tooth than most of the interns.

longer in the tooth than

The captain is longer in the tooth than anyone else on the team.

feel longer in the tooth

Hearing that song makes me feel longer in the tooth.

Synonyms and how they differ

older

Older is neutral and simple, while longer in the tooth adds a joking, slightly critical tone.

past it

Past it is British and blunter, implying someone is too old to do something.

over the hill

Over the hill is a harsher joke suggesting decline past middle age.

getting on

Getting on is a milder, politer way to say someone is aging.

Opposites

Word family

long in the tooth phrase

the standard form of the idiom, meaning rather old

tooth noun

a hard part of the mouth used for chewing

long adjective

extending a great distance in space or time

Commonly confused: longer in the tooth or long in the tooth?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “longer in the tooth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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