|
Idiom |
Meaning |
|
| Lip service |
If you pay lip service to an idea or cause, you
give verbal support
or approval but fail to actually do
anything.
"In spite of promising equal pay for women, the
management is
suspected of paying lip service to the
promotion of women's rights." |
|
Keep a stiff upper
lip |
If
a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion
and do not let other people see their feelings.
"When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip." |
| Lick/smack
one's lips |
To say that a person is licking or smacking their lips means that
they are showing that they are excited about something and are
eager for it to
happen.
"They were smacking their lips at the idea of the money they were
going to make." |
| Lips are
sealed |
If you say that your lips are sealed, you promise not to reveal a
secret.
"I promise I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed!" |
| Down
in the mouth |
When someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy,
discouraged or depressed.
"You look a bit down in the mouth.
What's the matter?" |
| From
hand to mouth |
If you live from hand to mouth, you don't have enough money
to save. Whatever you earn is spent on food and other essentials.
"Most families in that poor area live from hand to mouth." |
|
Make your mouth water |
Food can make your mouth water when it looks and smells
extremely good.
"That delicious smell from the kitchen is making my mouth water." |
Butter wouldn't melt in
your
mouth. |
If you say that somebody looks as if butter
wouldn't melt in their
mouth, you are saying that they look completely innocent, but that
they are capable of doing unpleasant things. |
| Foam
at the mouth |
Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about
something.
"The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of
his
children in the newspaper." |
Put money where your
mouth is |
To put money where your mouth is means to
give financial support
to activities or causes that you believe are right. |
Take
the words out of
somebody's mouth |
If you say exactly what someone else was going to say, you
take the
words out of their mouth.
"I
entirely agree with you. You took the words out of my mouth." |
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