awagging

set tongues (a-)wagging

To be a source of gossip or idle speculation. Just when the dust of his previous scandal had begun to settle, the governor committed a new faux pas to set tongues a-wagging across the country. Being such a media celebrity means that anything one does, no matter how banal, is enough to set tongues wagging.
See also: set, tongue

start tongues (a-)wagging

To be a source of gossip, slander, or idle speculation. Just when the dust of his previous scandal had begun to settle, the governor did something new to start tongues a-wagging across the country. Being such a media celebrity means that anything one does, no matter how banal, is enough to start tongues wagging.
See also: start, tongue
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • set tongues (a-)wagging
  • set tongues wagging
  • cause (some) tongues to wag
  • cause tongues to wag
  • egg on one's face, have
  • have egg on (one's) face
  • have egg on face
  • have egg on one’s face
  • have got egg on (one's) face
  • with egg on (one's) face
References in periodicals archive
Every one of these investigations, and others like them, set tongues awagging in our community, and all had direct, positive results.
Making firm a newspaper's focus on investigative reporting: 'in an age when our critics love to crow that news is an undifferentiated commodity available anywhere, investigative reporting clearly isn't.'
Tail awagging when you pick up his leader, smile and say walk
What is a pet?