Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“Oh, bite your tongue!”
- Paulette (Kate Lansbury), responding to information that Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston) wants to be heiress to the French throne, in the movie Ever After.
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
stop yourself from talking or saying something; be quiet
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
When someone tells you to bite your tongue they are very strongly telling you to be quiet or to shut up.
Usually, this expression is used when talking about yourself, as in “I’m biting my tongue” or “I’m trying to bite my tongue.” This means that you really, really want to say something but you’re just going to be quiet. Maybe your parents are angry with you and you want to shout back at them. It’s probably best that you bite your tongue. Maybe your friend made you upset and you want to insult him or her. You can say something cruel or you can just bite your tongue.
To tell your friend that you really disagree with what someone else is saying and you want to say something in response, you can say “I’m trying to bite my tongue.”
For example, when my brother tells me that The Fast and the Furious is the best movie ever made, I have to bite my tongue.
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“I disagree with him but I’m going to bite my tongue.”