| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Edge. | | |
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(Anglo-Saxon, ecg.) | 1 |
Not to put too fine an edge upon it. Not to mince the matter; to speak plainly.
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“He is, not to put too fine an edge upon it, a thorough scoundrel.”—Lowell. |
| 2 |
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To be on edge. To be very eager or impatient. | 3 |
To set one’s tecth on edge. To give one the horrors; to induce a tingling or grating sensation in one’s teeth, as from acids or harsh noises.
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| “I had rather hear a brazen canstick turned, |
| Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree; |
| And that would set my teeth nothing on edge, | |
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| Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV., iii. 1. | |
| 4 |
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