tongue

be on the tip of your tongue: seetip.

bite your tongue: seebite.

the cat has got someone's tongue: seecat.

the gift of tongues the power of speaking in unknown languages, regarded as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

☞ When the disciples of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit after Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4), the gift of tongues was one of the ways in which this phenomenon manifested itself; compare with speak in tongues (atspeak).

have a silver tongue: seesilver.

hold your tongue remain silent. informal

I could have bitten my tongue off: seebitten.

keep a civil tongue in your head: seecivil.

loosen someone's tongue: seeloosen.

the rough edge of your tongue: seerough.

set tongues wagging be the cause of much gossip or rumour.

someone's tongue is hanging out someone is very eager for something, especially a drink.

speak in tongues: seespeak.

(with) tongue in cheek speaking or writing in an ironic or insincere way.

☞ This expression originated in the fuller form put or thrust your tongue in your cheek, meaning 'speak insincerely'. At one time, putting your tongue in your cheek could also be a gesture of contempt, but that shade of meaning has disappeared from the modern idiom.

with forked tongue: seeforked.