IDIOM CONNECTION
Mouth and Teeth Idioms and Quizzes
Mouth and Teeth Idiom Quiz #1
Quiz 1 - Choose the correct idiom to replace the expression in the brackets. Check your score at the bottom. Click on the idiom for the definition.
Your score is: ___ out of 5
Mouth and Teeth Idiom Quiz #2
Quiz 2 - Choose the correct idiom to replace the expression in the brackets. Check your score at the bottom. Click on the idiom for the definition.
Your score is: ___ out of 5
Mouth and Teeth Idioms
acquire a taste for (something)
- to develop a liking for a particular food or drink or something else
Recently, my friend has acquired a taste for expensive neckties.
armed to the teeth
- fully armed, having many weapons
The robbers were armed to the teeth when they robbed the bank.
as scarce as hen's teeth
- very scarce, nonexistent
Cheap apartment rentals are as scarce as hen's teeth in the large city.
bad-mouth (someone or something)
- to say bad things about someone or something
The football player began to bad-mouth his coach.
a bigmouth
- a noisy or boastful or foolish talker
The man is a bigmouth. He is always talking about his plans.
bite off more than one can chew
- to try to do more than you can realistically do
I am trying not to bite off more than I can chew so that I will be able to finish my project.
bite one's tongue
- to try hard not to say something that you would like to say (often used when you want to criticize someone)
I always bite my tongue when I am talking with my aunt so that I do not say the wrong thing and make her angry.
bite (someone's) head off
- to speak to someone in an angry way
My friend bit my head off when I asked her a question.
a bitter pill to swallow
- an unpleasant fact that you must accept
It was a bitter pill to swallow when we lost the legal case.
born with a silver spoon in one`s mouth
- born to wealth and comfort, born rich
The boy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he has never worked in his life.
button one`s lip
- to stop talking, to be quiet
"Please button your lip, so we can hear what the speaker is saying."
by the skin of one`s teeth
- by a narrow margin, barely
We were able to catch the train but only by the skin of our teeth.
by word of mouth
- by speaking rather than writing, orally, from person to person by speaking
I learned about the holiday from work by word of mouth.
cat gets one`s tongue
- one is not able to talk because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she was not able to say anything.
cause tongues to wag
- to give people something to gossip or talk about
The actions of our boss are causing tongues to wag.
chew (someone) out or chew out (someone)
- to scold someone
The girl began to chew her friend out in the supermarket.
chew the fat/rag
- to chat or talk informally with one's friends
I stopped to chew the fat with an old friend from high school.
clam up
- to close one's mouth, to shut up, to stop talking
The students clammed up when they saw the teacher.
cough (something) up or cough up (something)
- to be forced or pressured to give someone something (often information or money)
We asked our friend to cough up some money for the restaurant meal.
The man had to cough up some information for the police.
cram (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want
The woman's boss always tries to cram company changes down her throat.
cut one's eyeteeth on (something)
- to have much experience with something, to have done something since one was very young
My cousin cut his eyeteeth on fixing computers and now he is a computer expert.
cut one's (own) throat
- to experience certain failure
The man cut his own throat when he suddenly quit his job.
The girl cut her throat when she began to fight with her coach.
down in the mouth
- depressed and unhappy
My friend looked down in the mouth after he finished work today.
down the hatch
- swallowed, down one's throat
The cough medicine went down the hatch of the little boy.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
- a system of punishment where you punish someone in the same way that they hurt you
The citizens wanted an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they learned about the child's murder.
fight (someone or something) tooth and nail
- to fight against someone or something with great energy
The citizens fought the government tooth and nail over the government plans to build the new highway.
find one's tongue
- to be able to talk, to find the ability to talk after not being able to talk for a short time
The man could not find his tongue when he was asked to speak at the meeting.
foam at the mouth
- to be very angry (a sick dog foams at the mouth)
The girl's father was so angry that he was almost foaming at the mouth.
force (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something
I wish that my friend would not force her ideas down my throat.
give one's eye teeth (to do something) or (for something)
- to want to do something very much, to want something very much
The little boy would give his eye teeth to have a little puppy.
give (someone) a tongue-lashing
- to give someone a severe scolding
The mother gave her daughter a tongue-lashing when the daughter returned from school.
give voice to (something)
- to put something into words, to express something
The small organization gives voice to the concerns of poor people in the city.
gnash one's teeth
- to grind one's teeth
I often gnash my teeth when I am sleeping.
The man was so angry that he gnashed his teeth.
grit one's teeth
- to grind one's teeth together because of anger or stress or determination
I grit my teeth and began to clean up after the party.
guard one's tongue
- to be careful of what one says
I have to guard my tongue when I am speaking with my friend's parents.
have a big mouth
- to be a person who gossips or tells secrets
The woman has a big mouth and she can never keep a secret.
have a say/voice in (something)
- to have a part in making a decision
I want to have a say in the decision of whether or not we must work in the evenings.
The children had a voice in choosing their afternoon activity.
have a sweet tooth
- to like to eat sweet foods
The girl has a sweet tooth. She loves chocolate.
hold one`s tongue
- to be silent, to not talk
"Please hold your tongue," the teacher said to the young boy.
keep a civil tongue
- to speak decently and politely
I tried to keep a civil tongue during my argument with the store clerk.
keep a stiff upper lip
- to be brave, to face trouble bravely
We tried to keep a stiff upper lip when our company decided to close our office.
keep one`s mouth shut
- to be silent, to stay silent
I tried hard to keep my mouth shut during the speech.
laugh out of the other side of one's mouth
- to change from being happy to being sad
The woman was laughing out of the other side of her mouth when she learned that she would not be promoted.
leave a bad taste in one`s mouth
- to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone
The way that the company treated us left a bad taste in our mouth.
lick one's chops
- to show one's eagerness for something or to do something or to eat something (by licking one's lips)
The salesman began to lick his chops when he saw the potential customers at the convention.
lick one's lips
- to show one's eagerness for something or to do something or to eat something
The little boy began to lick his lips when he saw the candy in the window.
lie through one's teeth
- to lie in a bold manner
The man's story was impossible to believe. He was lying through his teeth.
The judge thought that the man was lying through his teeth.
The woman was lying through her teeth when she told us her reason for being late.
like pulling teeth
- very difficult to do
It was like pulling teeth to try and get the boy to explain why he was crying.
(one's) lips are sealed
- someone will not tell a secret
My lips are sealed and I will not tell anybody the secret.
live from hand to mouth
- to live in poor circumstances, to have little money
The man has been living from hand to mouth for many years now.
long in the tooth
- old
The man was feeling long in the tooth and he did not have much energy.
loosen (someone's) tongue
- to make someone relax and say something that they normally would not say
I went to the coffee shop with my friend where I tried to loosen his tongue.
loudmouth
- a noisy or boastful or foolish talker
My friend is a loudmouth and he always makes plans but he never does anything about them.
lower one's voice
- to speak more softly
The teacher asked the student to lower his voice.
make one`s mouth water
- to make someone want to eat or drink something because of the thought or the smell of the food
The smell of the food cooking in the restaurant made my mouth water.
melt in one`s mouth
- to taste very good, to be very tender (used for meat)
The pasta served at the new restaurant melted in our mouths.
no skin off (someone's) teeth
- of no interest or concern or trouble to someone
It is no skin off my teeth whether my friend comes to the restaurant with us or not.
not open one's mouth
- to not say anything
The man in the movie theater was told not to open his mouth.
on everybody's/everyone's lips
- many people are talking about the same thing
The problems with the singer are on everybody's lips.
Today's news topic is on everybody's lips.
The question of the company becoming bankrupt is on everyone's lips.
on the tip of one`s tongue
- to be almost able to remember something that you have forgotten
My former teacher's name is on the tip of my tongue.
out of the mouths of babes
- something that a child says shows that he or she understands more about a situation than you thought that they did
The little boy's statement was out of the mouths of babes. He knew everything that was happening.
pay lip service to (someone or something)
- to support someone or something by words but not by actions
The politician paid lip service to the proposal to build a new subway system but he did not really like the idea.
pull (someone's) tooth out or pull out (someone's) tooth
- to take someone's tooth out (usually done by a dentist)
I went to the dentist so he could pull my tooth out.
put one's foot in one's mouth
- to say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation
I put my foot in my mouth and said that I did not like fish just before my friend served me fish for dinner.
put one's money where one's mouth is
- to stop always saying that you will do something but to actually do it
The man always talks about helping other people but he never does anything. He should put his money where his mouth is and do something.
put some teeth into (something)
- to increase the power of something
The government has put some teeth into the new law.
put the bite on (someone)
- to try to get money from someone
I will put the bite on my friend in order to get some money for the movie.
put the words into (someone`s) mouth
- to say or suggest something for someone else, to speak for someone else without his or her permission
My friend always wants to put the words into my mouth before I have a chance to speak.
put words in/into (someone`s) mouth
- to say or suggest something for someone else, to speak for someone else without his or her permission
The man always puts words into his wife's mouth which makes her angry.
ram (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want
The lawyer rammed the settlement down my throat even though I was not happy with it.
read my lips
- used to tell someone strongly that you have decided something and you will not change your mind
"Read my lips. I am not going to the meeting."
read (someone's) lips
- to look at the movements of someone's lips in order to understand what he or she is saying
The woman could not hear but she was able to read other people's lips.
run off at the mouth
- to talk excessively
The girl is always running off at the mouth when she is with her friends.
say a mouthful
- to say something of great importance, to say a lot
The little boy said a mouthful when he began to talk about his history project.
set one's teeth on edge
- to be unpleasant and to cause an uncomfortable feeling
The idea that we would have to move our office immediately set my teeth on edge.
set tongues wagging
- to cause people to start gossiping
The woman always sets tongues wagging at her office because of the things that she does.
a sharp tongue
- a way of talking or speaking to others that is unkind or bad or critical
The woman has a sharp tongue and she says very unkind things to other people.
shoot one's mouth off
- to talk too much, to boast, to tell someone's secrets
The young man began to shoot his mouth off at the supermarket.
My friend always shoots his mouth off so I do not like to tell him my business.
shove (something) down (someone`s) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want to do or agree with
I do not like my boss because he is always trying to shove his ideas down my throat.
show one's teeth
- to show one's anger or strength in order to warn someone not to argue or fight with you
Our supervisor showed his teeth when I began to argue with him about my job.
Shut your mouth!
- Please be quiet and close your mouth!
"Shut your mouth," the woman said to the man talking loudly in the library.
sink one`s teeth into (something)
- to have something real or solid to think about or struggle with, to take a bite from some kind of food
I was finally able to sink my teeth into the problem and find a solution.
I sank my teeth into the apple and took a bite.
a slip of the tongue
- something that is said at the wrong time and is not what you want to say
The clerk's comment to the customer was a slip of the tongue.
speak with a forked tongue
- to tell lies, to try to deceive someone
The man speaks with a forked tongue and you cannot believe what he says.
straight from the horse`s mouth
- directly from the person involved
I heard about my friend`s wedding straight from the horse`s mouth.
take the words out of (someone`s) mouth
- to say what someone else was just going to say
My friend took the words out of my mouth when he said that he wanted to get something to eat. I also wanted something to eat.
teething problems
- difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project or activity
The new project has many teething problems that we must deal with.
throw one's voice
- to project one's voice so that it appears to be coming from some other place
The performer likes to throw his voice when he entertains children.
tongue in cheek
- jokingly, insincerely, mockingly, not really meaning something
The comment by our teacher was tongue in cheek and she did not mean it.
tooth and nail
- fiercely, as hard as possible (when fighting)
We fought tooth and nail to get our manager to change our schedule.
watch one's mouth
- to not say something, to not be rude
The girl has bad manners and should watch her mouth.
watch one's tongue
- to not say something, to not be rude
The boy was told by his teacher to watch his tongue.
word of mouth
- orally from one person to another, spoken communication
I heard about the new restaurant by word of mouth.
zip one's lip
- to not talk, to not tell a secret
I told my friend to zip his lip and stop arguing with me.
Bite/Chew Idioms
bite off more than one can chew
- to try to do more than you can realistically do
I am trying not to bite off more than I can chew so that I will be able to finish my project.
bite one's tongue
- to try hard not to say something that you would like to say (often used when you want to criticize someone)
I always bite my tongue when I am talking with my aunt so that I do not say the wrong thing and make her angry.
bite (someone's) head off
- to speak to someone in an angry way
My friend bit my head off when I asked her a question.
chew (someone) out or chew out (someone)
- to scold someone
The girl began to chew her friend out in the supermarket.
chew the fat/rag
- to chat or talk informally with one's friends
I stopped to chew the fat with an old friend from high school.
put the bite on (someone)
- to try to get money from someone
I will put the bite on my friend in order to get some money for the movie.
Lip Idioms
button one`s lip
- to stop talking, to be quiet
"Please button your lip so we can hear what the speaker is saying."
keep a stiff upper lip
- to be brave, to face trouble bravely
We tried to keep a stiff upper lip when our company decided to close our office.
lick one's chops
- to show one's eagerness for something or to do something or to eat something (by licking one's lips)
The salesman began to lick his chops when he saw the potential customers at the convention.
lick one's lips
- to show one's eagerness for something or to do something or to eat something
The little boy began to lick his lips when he saw the candy in the window.
(one's) lips are sealed
- someone will not tell a secret
My lips are sealed and I will not tell anybody the secret.
on everybody's/everyone's lips
- many people are talking about the same thing
The problems with the singer are on everybody's lips.
Today's news topic is on everybody's lips.
The question of the company becoming bankrupt is on everyone's lips.
pay lip service to (someone or something)
- to support someone or something by words but not by actions
The politician paid lip service to the proposal to build a new subway system but he did not really like the idea.
read my lips
- used to tell someone strongly that you have decided something and you will not change your mind
"Read my lips. I am not going to the meeting."
read (someone's) lips
- to look at the movements of someone's lips in order to understand what he or she is saying
The woman could not hear but she was able to read other people's lips.
zip one's lip
- to not talk, to not tell a secret
I told my friend to zip his lip and stop arguing with me.
Mouth Idioms
bad-mouth (someone or something)
- to say bad things about someone or something
The football player began to bad-mouth his coach.
a bigmouth
- a noisy or boastful or foolish talker
The man is a bigmouth. He is always talking about his plans.
by word of mouth
- by speaking rather than writing, orally, from person to person by speaking
I learned about the holiday from work by word of mouth.
born with a silver spoon in one`s mouth
- born to wealth and comfort, born rich
The boy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he has never worked in his life.
down in the mouth
- depressed and unhappy
My friend looked down in the mouth after he finished work today.
foam at the mouth
- to be very angry (a sick dog foams at the mouth)
The girl's father was so angry that he was almost foaming at the mouth.
have a big mouth
- to be a person who gossips or tells secrets
The woman has a big mouth and she can never keep a secret.
keep one`s mouth shut
- to be silent, to stay silent
I tried hard to keep my mouth shut during the speech.
laugh out of the other side of one's mouth
- to change from being happy to being sad
The woman was laughing out of the other side of her mouth when she learned that she would not be promoted.
leave a bad taste in one`s mouth
- to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone
The way that the company treated us left a bad taste in our mouth.
live from hand to mouth
- to live in poor circumstances, to have little money
The man has been living from hand to mouth for many years now.
loudmouth
- a noisy or boastful or foolish talker
My friend is a loudmouth and he always makes plans but he never does anything about them.
make one`s mouth water
- to make someone want to eat or drink something because of the thought or the smell of the food
The smell of the food cooking in the restaurant made my mouth water.
melt in one`s mouth
- to taste very good, to be very tender (used for meat)
The pasta served at the new restaurant melted in our mouths.
not open one's mouth
- to not say anything
The man in the movie theater was told not to open his mouth.
out of the mouths of babes
- something that a child says shows that he or she understands more about a situation than you thought that they did
The little boy's statement was out of the mouths of babes. He knew everything that was happening.
put one's foot in one's mouth
- to say something that is the wrong thing to say in a situation
I put my foot in my mouth and said that I did not like fish just before my friend served me fish for dinner.
put one's money where one's mouth is
- to stop always saying that you will do something but to actually do it
The man always talks about helping other people but he never does anything. He should put his money where his mouth is and do something.
put the words into (someone`s) mouth
- to say or suggest something for someone else, to speak for someone else without his or her permission
My friend always wants to put the words into my mouth before I have a chance to speak.
put words in/into (someone`s) mouth
- to say or suggest something for someone else, to speak for someone else without his or her permission
The man always puts words into his wife's mouth which makes her angry.
run off at the mouth
- to talk excessively
The girl is always running off at the mouth when she is with her friends.
say a mouthful
- to say something of great importance, to say a lot
The little boy said a mouthful when he began to talk about his history project.
shoot one's mouth off
- to talk too much, to boast, to tell someone's secrets
The young man began to shoot his mouth off at the supermarket.
My friend always shoots his mouth off so I do not like to tell him my business.
Shut your mouth!
- Please be quiet and close your mouth!
"Shut your mouth," the woman said to the man talking loudly in the library.
straight from the horse`s mouth
- directly from the person involved
I heard about my friend`s wedding straight from the horse`s mouth.
take the words out of (someone`s) mouth
- to say what someone else was just going to say
My friend took the words out of my mouth when he said that he wanted to get something to eat. I also wanted something to eat.
watch one's mouth
- to not say something, to not be rude
The girl has bad manners and should watch her mouth.
word of mouth
- orally from one person to another, spoken communication
I heard about the new restaurant by word of mouth.
Taste Idioms
acquire a taste for (something)
- to develop a liking for a particular food or drink or something else
Recently, my friend has acquired a taste for expensive neckties.
leave a bad taste in one`s mouth
- to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone
The way that the company treated us left a bad taste in our mouth.
Teeth Idioms
armed to the teeth
- fully armed, having many weapons
The robbers were armed to the teeth when they robbed the bank.
as scarce as hen's teeth
- very scarce, nonexistent
Cheap apartment rentals are as scarce as hen's teeth in the large city.
by the skin of one`s teeth
- by a narrow margin, barely
We were able to catch the train but only by the skin of our teeth.
cut one's eyeteeth on (something)
- to have much experience with something, to have done something since one was very young
My cousin cut his eyeteeth on fixing computers and now he is a computer expert.
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
- a system of punishment where you punish someone in the same way that they hurt you
The citizens wanted an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when they learned about the child's murder.
fight (someone or something) tooth and nail
- to fight against someone or something with great energy
The citizens fought the government tooth and nail over the government plans to build the new highway.
give one's eye teeth (to do something) or (for something)
- to want to do something very much, to want something very much
The little boy would give his eye teeth to have a little puppy.
gnash one's teeth
- to grind one's teeth
I often gnash my teeth when I am sleeping.
The man was so angry that he gnashed his teeth.
grit one's teeth
- to grind one's teeth together because of anger or stress or determination
I grit my teeth and began to clean up after the party.
have a sweet tooth
- to like to eat sweet foods
The girl has a sweet tooth. She loves chocolate.
lie through one's teeth
- to lie in a bold manner
The man's story was impossible to believe. He was lying through his teeth.
The judge thought that the man was lying through his teeth.
The woman was lying through her teeth when she told us her reason for being late.
like pulling teeth
- very difficult to do
It was like pulling teeth to try and get the boy to explain why he was crying.
long in the tooth
- old
The man was feeling long in the tooth and he did not have much energy.
no skin off (someone's) teeth
- of no interest or concern or trouble to someone
It is no skin off my teeth whether my friend comes to the restaurant with us or not.
pull (someone's) tooth out or pull out (someone's) tooth
- to take someone's tooth out (usually done by a dentist)
I went to the dentist so he could pull my tooth out.
put some teeth into (something)
- to increase the power of something
The government has put some teeth into the new law.
set one's teeth on edge
- to be unpleasant and to cause an uncomfortable feeling
The idea that we would have to move our office immediately set my teeth on edge.
show one's teeth
- to show one's anger or strength in order to warn someone not to argue or fight with you
Our supervisor showed his teeth when I began to argue with him about my job.
sink one`s teeth into (something)
- to have something real or solid to think about or struggle with, to take a bite from some kind of food
I was finally able to sink my teeth into the problem and find a solution.
I sank my teeth into the apple and took a bite.
teething problems
- difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project or activity
The new project has many teething problems that we must deal with.
tooth and nail
- fiercely, as hard as possible (when fighting)
We fought tooth and nail to get our manager to change our schedule.
Throat Idioms
cram (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want
The woman's boss always tries to cram company changes down her throat.
cut one's (own) throat
- to experience certain failure
The man cut his own throat when he suddenly quit his job.
The girl cut her throat when she began to fight with her coach.
down the hatch
- swallowed, down one's throat
The cough medicine went down the hatch of the little boy.
force (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something
I wish that my friend would not force her ideas down my throat.
ram (something) down (someone's) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want
The lawyer rammed the settlement down my throat even though I was not happy with it.
shove (something) down (someone`s) throat
- to force someone to do or agree to something that they do not want to do or agree with
I do not like my boss because he is always trying to shove his ideas down my throat.
Tongue Idioms
bite one's tongue
- to try hard not to say something that you would like to say (often used when you want to criticize someone)
I always bite my tongue when I am talking with my aunt so that I do not say the wrong thing and make her angry.
cat gets one`s tongue
- one is not able to talk because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she was not able to say anything.
cause tongues to wag
- to give people something to gossip or talk about
The actions of our boss are causing tongues to wag.
find one's tongue
- to be able to talk, to find the ability to talk after not being able to talk for a short time
The man could not find his tongue when he was asked to speak at the meeting.
give (someone) a tongue-lashing
- to give someone a severe scolding
The mother gave her daughter a tongue-lashing when the daughter returned from school.
guard one's tongue
- to be careful of what one says
I have to guard my tongue when I am speaking with my friend's parents.
hold one`s tongue
- to be silent, to not talk
"Please hold your tongue," the teacher said to the young boy.
keep a civil tongue
- to speak decently and politely
I tried to keep a civil tongue during my argument with the store clerk.
loosen (someone's) tongue
- to make someone relax and say something that they normally would not say
I went to the coffee shop with my friend where I tried to loosen his tongue.
on the tip of one`s tongue
- to be almost able to remember something that you have forgotten
My former teacher's name is on the tip of my tongue.
set tongues wagging
- to cause people to start gossiping
The woman always sets tongues wagging at her office because of the things that she does.
a sharp tongue
- a way of talking or speaking to others that is unkind or bad or critical
The woman has a sharp tongue and she says very unkind things to other people.
a slip of the tongue
- something that is said at the wrong time and is not what you want to say
The clerk's comment to the customer was a slip of the tongue.
speak with a forked tongue
- to tell lies, to try to deceive someone
The man speaks with a forked tongue and you cannot believe what he says.
tongue in cheek
- jokingly, insincerely, mockingly, not really meaning something
The comment by our teacher was tongue in cheek and she did not mean it.
watch one's tongue
- to not say something, to not be rude
The boy was told by his teacher to watch his tongue.
Voice Idioms
give voice to (something)
- to put something into words, to express something
The small organization gives voice to the concerns of poor people in the city.
have a say/voice in (something)
- to have a part in making a decision
I want to have a say in the decision of whether or not we must work in the evenings.
lower one's voice
- to speak more softly
The teacher asked the student to lower his voice.
throw one's voice
- to project one's voice so that it appears to be coming from some other place
The performer likes to throw his voice when he entertains children.