Bite Your Tongue: Origin and Meaning

To stop yourself from saying something that might be offensive or hurtful, even though you would really like to say it.

This idiom comes from the literal meaning of ‘bite your tongue’. If you actually bite your tongue, it is extremely difficult to speak. Therefore, biting your tongue would definitely stop you from saying something that you might regret!”

“My dad bought a really ugly jacket last week. He asked if I liked it and I just bit my tongue and nodded. He looked so happy and I didn’t want to upset him.”

“She always says horrible things to her boyfriend and I can see he doesn’t like it. I wish she would bite her tongue sometimes.”

Rory: “My boss makes me so angry. Yesterday he told me to throw away my article and start again. I told him that I thought it was good and it would be a waste of time to start again but he wouldn’t listen.”
Jess: “Well, you need to be careful. I think you should bite your tongue in future – you don’t want to lose your job!”