🗓️ Idiom: Put Your Foot in Your Mouth (verb phrase)
💬 Meaning
- To say something embarrassing or inappropriate.
- To make a comment that causes awkwardness or offense.
🧠 Example Sentences
- He really put his foot in his mouth when he mentioned the surprise party.
- She put her foot in her mouth during the meeting and upset the client.
- I put my foot in my mouth by asking about her private matters.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase dates back to the early 20th century and comes from the idea of doing something clumsy or awkward, like physically putting a foot in your mouth. It evolved to describe saying something embarrassing or inappropriate.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
“During the presentation, he accidentally __________ his foot in his mouth.”
Answer
put
2. Multiple choice:
What does “put your foot in your mouth” mean?
a) To trip while walking
b) To say something embarrassing or inappropriate
c) To speak very politely
Answer
b) To say something embarrassing or inappropriate
3. Change the sentence using “put your foot in your mouth”:
She accidentally said something that embarrassed everyone at the party.
Answer
She put her foot in her mouth at the party.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Main Idioms Page
👉 Idioms for Communication
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👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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