watch one's mouth
The idiom "watch one's mouth" is often used in informal contexts to caution someone to be mindful of their language to avoid causing offense.
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🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(informal, warning)To be cautious about one's language to avoid offending or upsetting others.
Example
- You should watch your mouth when talking to your elders.
- He was told to watch his mouth after making an inappropriate comment.
B2General
(imperative, informal)Used as a warning to choose words carefully to avoid negative consequences.
Example
- Watch your mouth, or you'll get into trouble.
- The teacher told the student to watch his mouth after a rude remark.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "watch one's mouth":
watch one's stepwatch one's backwash one's mouth outmouth offhold one's jawswallow one's wordsbig mouthkeep one's counselpotty moutha closed mouth catches no fliesshoot off at the mouthrun off at the mouthmouth the wordskeep an eye openplum in one's mouthmind the storekeep one's head downkeep quietput one's money where one's mouth is