by the skin of your teeth

por los pelos, por un pelo

• We caught the last train by the skin of our teeth.
• She passed the exam by the skin of her teeth after studying all night.
• The team won the match by the skin of their teeth, with a last-minute goal.

By the skin of your teeth is used in English to describe situations where something is achieved by a very narrow margin. It is more common in spoken language than in formal writing, often heard in informal and colloquial settings. It is not typically used in official or academic documents.

A common mistake is saying 'by the hair of the teeth' which is not English. This literal translation from Spanish does not convey the intended meaning in English. The idiom must be used as 'by the skin of your teeth' to be correct.

• play it by ear
  improvisar sobre la marcha
• the proof of the pudding is in the eating
  el movimiento se demuestra andando
• leave no stone unturned
  no dejar piedra sin remover, agotar todas las opciones
• the writing on the wall
  los augurios, lo que se veía venir