By the skin of your teeth

The phrase "By the skin of your teeth" is an idiomatic expression used to describe a narrow or barely successful escape from a difficult, dangerous, or challenging situation. It conveys the idea of just barely avoiding failure or disaster. The phrase originates from the Book of Job in the Bible, where the protagonist says, "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth." Here, "skin of my teeth" implies that Job barely survived his afflictions. In modern usage, the phrase often refers to a close call or a fortunate and extremely narrow victory or success.