long in the tooth

Idioms  

1. Getting on in years, old, as in Aunt Aggie's a little long in the tooth to be helping us move. This expression alludes to a horse's gums receding with age and making the teeth appear longer. [Mid-1800s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long in the tooth

One sign a hot theme is getting long in the tooth is an extreme divergence between the equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 and the regular, capitalization-weighted index.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

The peak External link year was 2021, meaning those computers are now getting long in the tooth.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025

“The metal’s been overextended and long in the tooth for weeks, so some profit-taking or even a shakeout like this can help to clear out the tourists before a potential next leg higher,” said Koos.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025

Let’s just say there’s a lot of Murphy programming on television these days, and the majority of the series are long-winded, long-running or just plain long in the tooth.

From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2024

And she wasn't long in the tooth, or very ugly, or vulgar, or anything; but somehow I couldn't stand it.

From Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885 by Various