his teeth are drawn
Preserved but no longer current.
His power of doing mischief is taken from him. The phrase comes from the fable of the lion in love, who con- sented to have his teeth drawn and claws cut, in order that a fair damsel might marry him. When this was done the girl's father fell on the lion and slew him.
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 “his teeth are drawn” mean?
His power of doing mischief is taken from him. The phrase comes from the fable of the lion in love, who con- sented to have his teeth drawn and claws cut, in order that a fair damsel might marry him. When this was done the girl's father fell on the lion and slew him.
Is “his teeth are drawn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.