one's teeth water
English
[edit]Phrase
[edit]- (dated) One salivates or is visibly hungry or (figurative) eager for something.
- 1828, Michael Banim, The Croppy, volume 2, page 216:
- Now his teeth watered as he saw the mad-looking woman apparently gulp down that which, from the fragrance it emitted, could be nothing less than the most potent kind of the beverage he loved.
Usage notes
[edit]- No longer widely understood. In modern English, one's mouth waters; see mouthwatering.