Set your teeth on edge
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Cause an unpleasant physical sensation in the teeth or make someone acutely irritated or uncomfortable. It can describe either a literal dental sensation or strong irritation. Regional use: Middle English and biblical English; now widespread.
Origin
Jeremiah and Ezekiel contain the proverb that sour grapes affect another person's teeth. Wycliffe's Jeremiah says the teeth were astonished, while Middle English edge and the verb eggen developed the sense of making teeth feel sharp, numb, or jarred. By the fifteenth century English could describe teeth as set on edge. The physical reaction to sourness later broadened to the figurative irritation caused by a harsh sound, manner, or idea.
Research Sources
Variants
- Put your teeth on edge
Usage Examples
- The scrape of metal on stone sets my teeth on edge.
- That vinegar is sharp enough to set your teeth on edge.
- His smug little laugh set everyone's teeth on edge.