Lee: was cutting his third set of teeth

Marius Hancu

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Oct 17, 2010, 8:29:40 AM10/17/10

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Hello:

"was cutting his third set of teeth"
does this mean
he's using a dental prosthesis
or that
the prosthesis is just being made for him?

----
Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth.

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
---
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

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Oct 17, 2010, 8:52:57 AM10/17/10

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On Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:29:40 -0700 (PDT), Marius Hancu
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello:
>
>"was cutting his third set of teeth"
>does this mean
>he's using a dental prosthesis
>or that
>the prosthesis is just being made for him?
>

I'd understand it to mean he is using a dental prosthesis, "false
teeth", for the first time and is becoming accustomed to them.

>----
>Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth.
>
>Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
>---

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Don Phillipson

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Oct 17, 2010, 8:48:44 AM10/17/10

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"Marius Hancu" <marius...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a03b9dde-4b8d-4549...@i21g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...

> "was cutting his third set of teeth"
> does this mean
> he's using a dental prosthesis
> or that
> the prosthesis is just being made for him?
>
> ----
> Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth.
>
> Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

"Cutting teeth" is an old phrase meaning the eruption of
new teeth through the gums. Humans normally grow only
two sets of teeth, i.e. adult teeth displace "baby teeth" at
about ages 8-11. A very few humans develop later in
life one or more natural teeth considered to belong to a third set.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

franzi

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Oct 17, 2010, 6:30:17 PM10/17/10

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Don Phillipson wrote:
> "Marius Hancu"<marius...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:a03b9dde-4b8d-4549...@i21g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...
>
>> "was cutting his third set of teeth"
>> does this mean
>> he's using a dental prosthesis
>> or that
>> the prosthesis is just being made for him?
>>
>> ----
>> Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth.
>>
>> Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
>
> "Cutting teeth" is an old phrase meaning the eruption of
> new teeth through the gums. Humans normally grow only
> two sets of teeth, i.e. adult teeth displace "baby teeth" at
> about ages 8-11.

Against this background, you can imagine that a person who is "cutting
his third set of teeth" has lost his second set. In other words, Mr
Slade is old and toothless. It's a joke.

> A very few humans develop later in
> life one or more natural teeth considered to belong to a third set.
>

I didn't know that, but even if I had, I'd never let fact stand in the
way of art.

--
franzi

savi...@phstudents.org

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Dec 13, 2016, 8:08:55 AM12/13/16

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jias...@outlook.com

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Apr 29, 2017, 9:37:22 PM4/29/17

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> > Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
>
> "Cutting teeth" is an old phrase meaning the eruption of
> new teeth through the gums. Humans normally grow only
> two sets of teeth, i.e. adult teeth displace "baby teeth" at
> about ages 8-11. A very few humans develop later in
> life one or more natural teeth considered to belong to a third set.
>
> --
> Don Phillipson
> Carlsbad Springs
> (Ottawa, Canada)

Thank you! It is helpful!

A A

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Mar 2, 2021, 7:57:13 PM3/2/21

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hi