| Idiom | Bite Your Tongue |
|---|---|
| Example | Don't you dare say that to me! Bite your tongue, young man! |
| Meaning | take back or be ashamed of what you have said; struggle not to say something you want to say |
| Origin | It's easy to see where this saying came from. If you really put your tongue between your teeth as if you were biting it, you couldn't talk. So when people tell you to "bite your tongue," they are telling you to force yourself to be silent before you say something you shouldn't. Sometimes people say it after they've already blurted out what they shouldn't have. Then it means to take back the statement and keep quiet. A similar expression is "hold your tongue," which means you should remain silent. |
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