English idioms: Speech, And & Communication
12 idioms with meanings and example sentences, plus where many of them come from.
talk of the townthe topic everyone is discussingTheir wedding was the talk of the town.Origin: Used for gossip spread through a community.
put your foot in your mouthto say something embarrassingI really put my foot in my mouth at dinner.Origin: The image of speaking so clumsily that your foot ends up in your mouth.
speak of the devilsaid when someone appears just after being mentionedSpeak of the devil, here he is!Origin: From the old belief that mentioning evil could make it appear.
read between the linesto understand a hidden meaningIf you read between the lines, she's unhappy.Origin: From messages written in code with lines to be skipped.
hear it through the grapevineto learn something by gossipI heard through the grapevine that you're moving.Origin: From telegraph wires that looked like vines in the US Civil War.
word of mouthspoken information passed between peopleThe shop grew through word of mouth.Origin: A literal image of words passing from mouth to mouth.
loose lips sink shipscareless talk can have serious resultsDon't share the plan; loose lips sink ships.Origin: A slogan from World War II propaganda posters.
actions speak louder than wordswhat you do matters more than what you sayHe promises a lot, but actions speak louder than words.Origin: An old proverb recorded since the 1600s.
a slip of the tonguea small spoken mistakeCalling her 'mum' was a slip of the tongue.Origin: A literal image of the tongue slipping.
lost for wordstoo surprised to speakI was lost for words when I saw the gift.Origin: A literal image of having no words.
keep it under your hatto keep something secretKeep it under your hat for now.Origin: Perhaps from keeping valuable items hidden beneath a hat.
have a word withto talk to someone, often to correct themI'll have a word with the manager.Origin: A straightforward phrase used since the 1400s.
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