long in the tooth 表示“年老、年迈”之意。比如:
- Aren't I a bit long in the tooth to start being an undergraduate?
我现在才去读大学本科不是有点太老了吗?
最初,该短语指马的牙齿。因为随着马龄的增长,牙根就会显露出来,这会使马的牙齿显得特别长。其他与马齿有关的表达还有:
- 词源趣谈 | not look a gift horse in the mouth 对所受馈赠不吹毛求疵
- straight from the horse’s mouth