idioms involving “teeth”

Sink one's teeth into

To become deeply involved in and enthusiastic about something

“Tanaka-san is a good choice for project manager because he will really sink his teeth into it and make it succeed.”

Cut one's teeth on

To have gained this experience early in one's career

“Mari-san can easily run the Public Relations department; she cut her teeth on press releases ten years ago.”

Like pulling teeth

Difficult and painful

“Creating a policy is easy; getting employees to follow it is like pulling teeth.”

Teething problems

Problems in the early stages of something new

“Takiguchi-san admits that there are teething problems with the manufacturing procedures but is confident that they will be overcome.”

Sets one's teeth on edge

To find something extremely irritating

“The CEO fired our ad agency because the TV spots they created set his teeth on edge.”