Question

Button Your Lip to stop talking; be quiet

Accepted Answer

Renee talked about her vacation so much that we finally told her to button her lip. It's easy to picture where this 20th-century American expression came from. Imagine buttons on peoples lips. Someone who wanted you to stay quiet, keep a secret, and not say a word would tell you to button your lip. Today some people also use the expressions "button it up," "zipper your mouth," and "put a cork in it."

Idiom	Button Your Lip
Example	Renee talked about her vacation so much that we finally told her to button her lip.
Meaning	to stop talking; be quiet
Origin	It's easy to picture where this 20th-century American expression came from. Imagine buttons on peoples lips. Someone who wanted you to stay quiet, keep a secret, and not say a word would tell you to button your lip. Today some people also use the expressions "button it up," "zipper your mouth," and "put a cork in it."

Button Lip Renee Talked Vacation Finally Told Stop