Search from various English teachers...
Juan
What is the meaning of "set his teeth on the edge"? I'm reading I'm a legend by R.Matheson and I'm not sure what this phrase means. Thank you!!!
Jan 29, 2015 12:19 PM
Answers · 5
It means "to irritate" or "greatly bother".
January 29, 2015
It refers to the creepy and intensely uncomfortable feeling you get when you bite into something that makes your teeth squeak or scrape--like some of the sensations you get when a dentist is cleaning your teeth, for example. It is related to the phrase "like the sound of a fingernail scraping on a blackboard." It is a very old, classic idiom--it appears in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible in English. Ezekiel 18:2, "What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?" Since you speak Spanish, I'm curious to see how the same verse is translated in Spanish. RVR 1960: "Los padres comieron las uvas agrias, y los dientes de los hijos tienen la dentera?" And now let me check a dictionary: yes, the first meaning shown for "dar dentera" is "set your teeth on edge."
January 29, 2015
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!