not to put a tooth in it
An Irish idiom meaning to speak plainly and without softening the message — to say something directly without biting your tongue or holding back.
Definitions
An Irish idiom meaning to speak plainly and without softening the message — to say something directly without biting your tongue or holding back. The phrase is typically used as a preface before delivering a blunt assessment: 'not to put a tooth in it, your plan is terrible.'
Not to put a tooth in it, she said, the whole scheme was a disaster from the start.
Comments
(Ireland) To speak plainly and directly.
"not to put a tooth in it" means: To speak plainly and directly.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"not to put a tooth in it" means: To speak plainly and directly.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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