Today we’ll be talking about words and idioms with the noun MOUTH.
This article comes from issue 2 (1/2023) of Your American English Magazine. You’ll find much more interesting stuff there, I’m sure.
| The word MOUTH can be used as a noun or as a verb. In the former case it’s pronounced /ˈmaʊθ/, so with a voiceless consonant at the end. As a verb it’s pronounced /ˈmaʊð/, so with a voiced consonant. Compound words that derive from this word may have one or the other pronunciation. Let’s assume that if I don’t mention it in the examples below, the voiceless consonant is used. If the voiced one should be used, I’ll explicitly mention that. Anyway, you use your mouth to speak, so there are many idioms that are related to this activity. There are different ways of speaking. Some people are real smart-mouths. I’m sure you’ve met some smart-mouthed kids in your life. Or maybe you’ve met someone who’s always running his or her mouth about his or her achievements? I hope you don’t shoot your mouth off about your achievements to people you hardly know. And I hope you don’t bad-mouth your colleagues either. Sometimes it’s best to remain close-mouthed about some stuff. But this may be hard for a big mouth. A big-mouthed friend can spoil a surprise. People will stop liking you if you have a big mouth. ‘Why did you have to open your big mouth?’ – they’ll keep asking. | smart-mouth – a person who says rude or disrespectful things smart-mouthed – saying rude or disrespectful things run your mouth – to talk too much and in a foolish way shoot your mouth off or shoot off at the mouth – to talk foolishly, carelessly, or too much about sth bad-mouth – to say bad things about sb or sth, to criticize sb or sth closed-mouthed / close-mouthed – not saying very much especially about a secret or about a particular subject big mouth – a person who cannot keep a secret or who talks too much big-mouthed – unable to keep a secret or talking too much have a big mouth – to be likely to reveal sb’s secrets open your big mouth – to reveal a secret |
| But even worse is a foul-mouthed person, like one of my potty-mouthed friends. She never watches her mouth. She’s a real loudmouth. She always says offensive stuff and she loves putting words in other people’s mouths. And she keeps putting her foot in her mouth when she talks with people. Besides, she never keeps her promises. She talks a lot, but she never puts money where her mouth is. She says something stupid every time she opens her mouth. She’d better keep her mouth shut. Do you have any loudmouthed friends too? Or maybe you know someone, like a politician who isn’t willing to tell the whole truth? I know some mealymouthed people like that. You also use your mouth, just like the other parts of your face, to show emotions. There are a couple interesting idioms with MOUTH. So, you may be upset or angry. You may be foaming (or frothing) at the mouth with rage. | foul-mouthed /ˈfaʊlˌmaʊθt/ or potty-mouthed /ˈpɑːtiˌmaʊðd/- using indecent or offensive language watch one’s mouth – to not use offensive language loudmouth – a loud person, a person who talks too much and who says unpleasant or stupid things put words in/into sb’s mouth – to suggest that sb said or meant sth that he or she did not say or mean put your foot in your mouth or put your foot in it – to say sth that causes sb to be embarrassed, upset, or hurt especially when you did not expect that reaction put money where your mouth is – to give or spend money or take some action in order to do or support sth that you have been talking about open one’s mouth – to speak keep one’s mouth shut – to not say anything or to not talk about sth (such as a secret) loudmouthed – talking too much and saying unpleasant or stupid things mealymouthed /ˈmiːliˌmaʊðd/ – not willing to tell the truth in clear and simple language foam/froth at the mouth – to be very angry about sth |
| If you don’t show your emotions like that, you may be quiet, but still your friends will stand there openmouthed and surprised to see you looking so down in the mouth. | openmouthed – having your mouth open usually because you are shocked or surprised down in the mouth – unhappy or depressed |
| Or, if you’re waiting for something exciting, you may be waiting for it with your heart in your mouth. I think that you’ll agree with me that it’s better to be rich than to be poor. But not everybody was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Some people live hand to mouth, or, in other words, they live a hand-to-mouth existence. It’s sometimes really hard, especially if there are too many mouths to feed in a family. Sometimes they get some help from others. Even if they get stuff that is old and not of the best quality, they usually think they shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. | with your heart in your mouth – very excited or nervous about sth born with a silver spoon in your mouth – born into a very wealthy family hand to mouth – without much money, in poverty hand-to-mouth – having only enough money to survive mouth to feed – a person (such as a child) who needs to be fed look a gift horse in the mouth – to look in a critical way at sth that has been given to you |
| Now, do you believe everything you hear? You may be pretty sure something is true if you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. It’s easier to believe someone you know well. If you know someone really well, it may even happen that you two are thinking about the same thing at the same time. Then when you say something, your interlocutor may say: ‘Yes, it’s true! You took the words right out of my mouth!’ | from the horse’s mouth – from the original source or person and therefore thought to be true take the words right out of sb’s mouth – to say exactly what sb was thinking |
| Sometimes you follow someone’s instructions. For example if you ask the way. Then you find your destination by word of mouth. Finally, your mouth is used for eating. Do you know any mouth-watering food? I like chocolate. It melts in my mouth. | by word of mouth – by being told by another person mouth-watering – having a very delicious taste or appealing smell melt in your mouth – to be delicious and feel soft or become soft when you put it in your mouth |