Etymology Journal · L
Like pulling teeth
Meaning
- Used to describe a task that is incredibly slow, difficult, and frustrating to complete. It implies that getting cooperation or progress is an agonizing experience.
Exasperated, weary
Used in a sentence
- Getting him to explain why he was late was like pulling teeth.
- Trying to finish this project before the weekend is like pulling teeth.
- Interviewing the toddler about who broke the lamp was like pulling teeth.
The backstory
Refers to the pre-modern days of dentistry where extracting a tooth was a notoriously difficult and painful ordeal. The comparison highlights how much effort is required to get a simple response.
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