cut your wisdom teeth
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
When persons say or do silly things, the remark is made to them that "they have not yet cut their wisdom teeth," or reached years of discretion.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cut your wisdom teeth” mean?
When persons say or do silly things, the remark is made to them that "they have not yet cut their wisdom teeth," or reached years of discretion.
Is “cut your wisdom teeth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.