grow teeth
v. phr.— «If the law grows teeth, either by the power of taxation or by outlawing home taping, it could curtail the sale and import of cassette recorders and parts for their repair, thus bringing this rapidly growing field to a virtual halt.» —“Sound; Home Taping. The Legal Issue Comes To A Boil” by Hans Fantel New York Times Aug. 29, 1982. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...