a closed mouth gathers no feet

English dictionary entry

Meanings

proverb
  1. One who does not speak can be sure of not saying anything embarrassing.

Pronunciation

/ə ˈkləʊzd ˌmaʊθ ˈɡæ.ðəz nəʊ ˈfiːt/ /ə ˈkloʊzd ˌmaʊθ ˈɡæ.ðɚz noʊ ˈfiːt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-a closed mouth gathers no feet.wav

Word forms

a closed mouth gathers no feet

Etymology

From put one's foot in one's mouth (“to say something embarrassing or wrong, or to make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing or offensive”), adopting the structure of a rolling stone gathers no moss and a closed mouth catches no flies.

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