Sometimes, it’s best not to speak even when you are angry, upset, or you disagree. You have to learn to bite your tongue.
Meaning of Idiom ‘Bite Your (or one’s) Tongue’
To bite one’s tongue is to struggle to not say something one really wants to say; to refrain from speaking one’s opinion; to try hard to avoid saying something that will annoy, anger, or upset someone else, even though you really want to say it. 1,2,3
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Usage Notes
Although this is rare, the idiom is sometimes used as a semi-humorous imperative, “Bite your tongue!” to indicate that a person should not say a particular thing because it might bring bad luck.
Example:
“I’m afraid we’re going to have a bad opening day,” said George. “Bite your tongue!” answered Steve.
Examples Of Use
“If she’s coming over, I’m going out. I have to bite my tongue anytime she’s around. I just do not like her at all.”
“Harry told the boss that Rick is a bad worker when it’s Harry who sits around watching everyone else work. I had to bite my tongue to keep from going off, because Harry is the boss’s pet.”
“I came close to quitting today but I bit my tongue.”
“You sometimes have to bite your tongue before giving your kids advice. They have to learn things for themselves.”
“I know you want to tell the truth but you’ll have to bite your tongue for now!”
“He was tired of biting his tongue and letting this crooked and corrupt ministration run rough-shod over the rule of law.”
Origin
Used since the late 1500s, this idiom alludes to holding one’s tongue between one’s front teeth in an effort to not say something one might regret. It was used by Shakespeare in Henry VI:
“So York must sit and fret and bite his tongue.” 4
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
- Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.