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Is this phrase correct?
I cannot find it in the dictionary, though it is an expression that I have heard before and used at times. It gets less than 2,000 g-hits. "Paying through the nose", though an expression less familiar to me, gets 90 thousand or so. Of course, it is possible that it the titular expression is a malapropism confused by the similar "lying through one's teeth".
Does anyone know the origin of the expression, rhinal or dental?
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Carpal Tunnel
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I've not heard of paying through the teeth before, but here's some OneLook hits for pay through the nose. edit: the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms says.. The origin of this term has been lost. Possibly it alludes to
the Danish nose tax, imposed in Ireland in the 9th century,
whereby delinquent taxpayers were punished by having their
noses slilt.
Last edited by tsuwm; 02/13/08 05:19 AM.
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and speaking of lying through one's teeth, this expression presumably alludes to a facial grimace one assumes when lying.
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Pooh-Bah
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and speaking of lying through one's teeth, this expression presumably alludes to a facial grimace one assumes when lying. Do you mean the  ?
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Carpal Tunnel
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paying through the nose and lying through the teeth are the ways I'm familiar with.
but I guess it's not rocket surgery.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Never heard of paying through one's teeth. Sounds unhygienic.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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paying through the nose and lying through the teeth are the ways I'm familiar with.
Ha!
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God, I feel like such an idiot. Oh well, it's like they say: A leopard can always learn a new trick.
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paying through the nose and lying through the teeth are the ways I'm familiar with. Well well well: perhaps I'll reassess my opinion of you! ;-)
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He can lie through his teeth to me, so long as he pays through the nose for it. 
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