find your voice/tongue
find (one's) tongue
To regain the ability to speak, especially after feeling frightened, nervous, or at a loss for words. It took him a minute, but Pete found his tongue again after we startled him at his surprise party. The little boy, who had been huddled nervously at the back, found his tongue and told the detectives what happened.
See also: find, tongue
find (one's) voice
1. To find one's distinctive style or vision of artistic expression. I think this is your best story yet, Betsy—you've really found your voice as a writer. It takes time to find your voice, but I'm confident you'll get there by the end of our photography class.
2. To regain the ability to speak, especially after something frightening or startling has happened. It took him a minute, but Pete found his voice again after we startled him at his surprise party.
See also: find, voice
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
find your tongue
If you find your tongue, you begin to talk, when you have been too shy, frightened, shocked or embarrassed to say anything before. All four men stared at him. It was Livingstone who found his tongue first.
See also: find, tongue
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
find your ˈvoice/ˈtongue
(informal) finally be able to speak after being too nervous or shy to do so: He sat silent through the first half of the meeting before he found his tongue.See also: find, tongue, voice
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- find (one's) tongue
- find tongue
- find your tongue
- frighten
- scare
- in a sweat
- in a cold sweat
- break out in a cold sweat
- be frightened to death
- scared to death