eyetooth

To gain experience with something, especially at a young age (when one's teeth would be coming in). One's "eyeteeth" are the canines. Oh, I cut my eyeteeth on those kinds of equations! Give me a challenging problem for a change! Jen may be young, but she cut her eyeteeth at a prestigious journal, so her perspective and expertise will be invaluable to us.

To have gained a lot of experience with something when one was younger. One's "eyeteeth" are the canines. Oh, I cut my eyeteeth on those kinds of equations! Give me a challenging problem for a change! Jen may be young, but she cut her eyeteeth on assignments at a prestigious journal, so her perspective and expertise will be invaluable to us.

To gain experience with something, especially at a young age. A reference to one's teeth coming in when one is a child; eyeteeth are the canines. Oh, I cut my eyeteeth on those kinds of equations! Give me a challenging problem for a change! Jen may be young, but she cut her eyeteeth on academic writing, so her perspective and expertise will be invaluable to us.

To go to any length or relinquish anything of value in order to have or be able to do something. Almost always used after the modal verb "would." Oh, I would give my eyeteeth to be able to write like you! You mother has always said she would give her eyeteeth for your beautiful curly hair.

To go to any length or relinquish anything of value in order to obtain some specific thing in return. Almost always used after the modal verb "would." Oh, I would give my eyeteeth for curly hair like yours. She said she'd give her eyeteeth for a chance to meet the singer in person.

Fig. to grow up experiencing something; to have had the experience of dealing with something [successfully] at a very early age. My grandfather taught me how to fish, so I cut my eyeteeth on fishing. Fred cut his eyeteeth on writing; both his parents were authors.

(for someone or something) Go to give one's right arm (for someone or something).

Fig. to be willing to give something of great value for someone or something. I'd give my right arm for a nice cool drink. I'd give my eyeteeth to be there.

Also, cut one's eyeteeth on. Get one's first experience by doing, or learn early in life, as in I cut my teeth on this kind of layout or He cut his eyeteeth on magazine editing. This term alludes to the literal verb to cut teeth, meaning "to have teeth first emerge through a baby's gums," a usage dating from the late 1600s.

Also, give one's right arm. Go to any lengths to obtain, as in She'd give her eyeteeth for a mink coat, or He'd give his right arm for a new car. These hyperbolic expressions both allude to something precious, the eyeteeth (or canines) being useful for both biting and chewing and the right arm a virtual necessity for the 90 percent of the population who are right-handed. Both date from the first half of the 1900s, when the first replaced give one's eyes, from the mid-1800s.

To yearn for; to go to any lengths to obtain. The eyeteeth, the upper canines, have been so called since the sixteenth century, presumably because their nerves are quite close to the eyes and a toothache in those teeth is felt as pain in that area. Since they are extremely useful for biting and chewing, giving up one’s eyeteeth entails a considerable sacrifice. However, this hyperbole most likely began life as to give one’s eyes, a greater sacrifice still. Anthony Trollope used it in Barchester Towers (1857): “Bertie would give his eyes to go with you.” Substituting eyeteeth, it is a safe guess, simply made the expression more colorful rather than affecting the underlying meaning in any way. It appeared in W. Somerset Maugham’s Cakes and Ale (1930): “He’d give his eyeteeth to have written a book half as good.” See also cut one's teeth on; give one's right arm.

To have knowledge or skill gained through long experience. “Eyeteeth” are the canines, which lie directly under our eyes. They cut through the gums when we were very young, so we've had them for almost as long as we've been alive. To ask a pianist how long she played ragtime might be answered with “Oh, I cut my eyeteeth on that kind of music” In other words, for a very long time. Like many other childhood possessions, eyeteeth are so prized that “I'd give my eyeteeth” means to exchange a valuable asset for something that's highly desirable.