What is meant by the expression 'By the skin of your teeth'?
Difficulty: Medium
About this MCQ
This Medium Idioms and Phrases question asks: What is meant by the expression 'By the skin of your teeth'? The correct choice is A. Only just barely succeeding at something. Read the options below, commit to one, then use the explanation to see why that choice holds and why the others do not.
Idioms and Phrases items like this one are written for Pakistan exams such as CSS, FPSC, PPSC, and NTS. The difficulty label is a hint about how much of the topic the stem assumes, not a score. Tags and exam names, when they are present, tell you where else the same idea is tested. Previous and next links stay in Idioms and Phrases so you can continue the subject. Related questions point at nearby stems if you want another angle on the same idea.
Treat the explanation as part of the question, not a footnote. If you missed it, reread the stem against the correct option before you open the next Idioms and Phrases item. A timed quiz is the same pool with a clock and a score. A past paper is a full sitting rather than this single question.
- A. Only just barely succeeding at something ✓
- B. Practical, sensible, and unpretentious
Why not B: “Practical, sensible, and unpretentious” does not fit this question. The answer is Only just barely succeeding at something.
- C. To get married
Why not C: “To get married” does not fit this question. The answer is Only just barely succeeding at something.
- D. To risk everything on the success of a single plan or venture
Why not D: “To risk everything on the success of a single plan or venture” does not fit this question. The answer is Only just barely succeeding at something.
Correct answer
A. Only just barely succeeding at something
Explanation
Only just barely succeeding at something is the value that answers “What is meant by the expression 'By the skin of your teeth'” (option A). Option B (Practical, sensible, and unpretentious) does not fit this question. Option C (To get married) does not fit this question. Option D (To risk everything on the success of a single plan or venture) does not fit this question. For this Idioms and Phrases question, the accepted answer is Only just barely succeeding at something.
Source: Idioms and Phrases Official FPSC/NTS/PPSC-Style Reference Guide
Tags: English, Idioms, FPSC, PPSC, phrases, NTS
Submitted by: MCQsHub Editorial
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