subs. (colloquial).—Generic for speech: esp. (1) gabble; (2) abuse, or (3) impudence. As verb (TO TONGUE IT, or TO FLASH THE TONGUE) = (1) to talk down; (2) to talk at, to chide; (3) TO MOUTH (q.v.); and (4) TO SAUCE (q.v.). Whence numerous DERIVATIVES AND COMBINATIONS: thus, TO TONGUE-BANG = to scold roundly, to rate: TONGUE-BANGER = a scold; TONGUE-BATTERY = a torrent of words, a flood of talk; TONGUE-BITER = an indistinct speaker: also TO BITE THE TONGUE = to keep silence; TONGUE-DOUGHTY = bragging, word-valiant; TONGUE-FENCE = debate, argument: TONGUE FENCER = (1) a master of words, and (2) a mouthing-speaker; TONGUE-LASHING = wordy abuse; TONGUE-MAN = (1) an orator, (2) a chatterbox, and (3) a scold: also TONGUE-PAD (see quot. 1696) and TONGUESTER; TONGUE-POWDER = fluency of phrase; TONGUE-SHOT = as far as the voice will reach: cf. ‘ear-shot’; TONGUE-SORE = an evil tongue, ill-speaking; TONGUE-VALIANT = (1) free of talk: hence (2) brave in word but cowardly in deed; TONGUEY = voluble, abusive; TO TONGUE-WALK = to abuse; TONGUE-WARRIOR = a boaster; TO TONGUE-WHIP = to lash with scorn; TONGUE-WAGGING = speech-making, verbosity, raillery: cf. ‘He can WAG HIS TONGUE better than he can wield his sword, pen,’ etc. (of one promising more than he can perform); TO WAG ONE’S TONGUE = to talk, to chatter; TONGUE-WORK = chatter: in quot. 1598 = philological studies; A LONG TONGUE = ‘so full of talk that one can’t get in a word edgeways’; AULD WIVES’ TONGUES = scandal. Also PHRASES: ON (or AT) THE TIP (or END) OF THE TONGUE = on the point of speech, about to say (or tell); TO GIVE TONGUE = to blurt out; TO KEEP (or HOLD) ONE’S TONGUE = to be silent; TO WAG ONE’S TONGUE = to speak out of season; ‘AS OLD AS MY TONGUE, AND A LITTLE OLDER THAN MY TEETH’ = a dovetail to ‘How old are you?’ A TONGUE TOO LONG FOR ONE’S TEETH (or MOUTH) = indiscreet, over-ready of speech; TO FIND ONE’S TONGUE = to break silence; TO PUT ONE’S TONGUE IN ANOTHER’S PURSE = to silence; TONGUE ENOUGH FOR TWO SETS OF TEETH, said of a talkative person (GROSE); THE TONGUE OF THE TRUMP = the best, the most important thing or person: see TRUMP; ‘MEW YOUR TONGUE’ (old) = ‘Shut your mouth!’ THE VULGAR TONGUE (GROSE) = cant, slang, heterodox speech, etc.

1

  1380.  WYCLIF, Bible, Ecclesiasticus, xxv. 27. As a graueli steeȝing vp in the feet of an old man so a TUNGY womman to a quyete man [Authorised Version. As the climbing up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, etc.].

2

  1546.  HEYWOOD, Wit and Folly, 11.

          James.  So muche the bettyr, and yow so muche the wurs,
That ye may now put YOUR TOONG IN YOUR PURS.

3

  1564.  UDALL, The Apophthegmes of Erasmus, 24. He hath not learned to speake well. Imputyng his TONGUESORE, not vnto maliciousness: but vnto the default of right knowledge.

4

  1593.  SHAKESPEARE, Taming of the Shrew, i. 1. 214.

        I will charm him first to KEEP HIS TONGUE.
    Ibid. (1596), Hamlet, iii. 4. 39.
  Queen.  What have I done, that thou dar’st WAG THY TONGUE
In noise so rude against me?
    Ibid. (1598), 2 Henry IV., i. 1.
So York must sit, and fret, and BITE HIS TONGUE
While his own lands are bargain’d for and sold.
    Ibid., i. 1. 74.
But Priam FOUND the fire ere he HIS TONGUE.
    Ibid. (1603), Measure for Measure, iv. 4. 28.
                A deflower’d maid! …
            But that her tender shame
Will not proclaim against her maiden loss,
How might she TONGUE me.
    Ibid. (1605), Cymbeline, v. 4. 147.
                Such stuff as madmen
TONGUE, and brain not.

5

  1594.  J. LYLY, Mother Bombie, ii. 1. MEW THY TONGUE, or wee’le cut it out.

6

  1596.  CHAPMAN, The Blind Beggar of Alexandria [SHEPHERD (1899), 16].

          Me.  Do but TONGUE-WHIP him, madam, and care not,
And so I leave him to the mercy of your tongue.

7

  1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, ‘To Reader,’ xii. He may as justly stand vpon in this TOONG WORK as in Latin, Sir Thomas Eliot.

8

  1603.  DAVIES, Microcosmos [GROSART, Works (1876), i. 22].

        Then come, sweet Prince, Wales wooeth thee by me
(By me hir sorrie TONGS-MAN).

9

  1607.  MIDDLETON, Michaelmas Term, iv. 4.

        I’ll listen to the common censure now,
How the world TONGUES me when my ear lies low.

10

  1611.  JONSON, Cataline, iv. 2. A boasting, insolent TONGUE-MAN.

11

  c. 1620.  FLETCHER, The Double Marriage, iv. 3.

          Jul.  Use more respect, and, woman, ’twill become you;
At least, less TONGUE.

12

  1634.  WITHALS, Dictionary, 562. Lingua bellat: hee layes it on with TONG-POWDER.

13

  1644.  MILTON, The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, II. xxi. It being also an unseemly affront to the sequestr’d and vail’d modesty of that sex, to have her unpleasingnesse and other concealments bandied up and down, and aggravated in open Court by those hir’d masters of TONGUE-FENCE.

            Ibid. (1671), Samson Agonistes, 404.
With blandished parleys, feminine assaults,
TONGUE-BATTERIES, she surceased not day nor night
To storm me.
    Ibid., 1180.
  Sams.  TONGUE-DOUGHTY giant.

14

  1679.  DRYDEN, Preface to Troilus and Cressida. Let his clack be set a-going, and he shall TONGUE IT as impetuously, and as loudly, as the arrantest hero of the play.

            Ibid. (1697), Iliad, i. 336.
TONGUE-VALIANT hero, vaunter of thy might,
In threats the foremost but the lag in fight.

15

  1680.  ELIZABETH CARY, The History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II., 55. I am no TONGUE-MAN, nor can move with language; but if we come to act, I’ll not be idle.

16

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. TONGUE-PAD, a smooth, Glib-tongued, insinuating Fellow.

17

  1709.  The Tatler, No. 57, 6 Aug. She, who was a celebrated wit in London, is in that dull part of the world in so little esteem, that they call her in their base style a TONGUE-PAD.

18

  1716.  ADDISON, The Free-holder, No. 26, 19 March. Irritated from time to time by these TONGUE-WARRIORS.

19

  1725.  N. BAILEY, trans. The Colloquies of Erasmus, I. 116. Don’t be sparing of your speech with one that is FULL of TONGUE.

20

  1740.  RICHARDSON, Pamela, I. 205. God forgive me, but I had a sad lie AT MY TONGUE’S END.

21

  d. 1796.  BURNS, Election Ballads, ii.

        An’ there will be black-lippit Johnnie,
  The TONGUE O’ THE TRUMP to them a’.

22

  1814.  AUSTEN, Mansfield Park, viii. Mrs. Norris thought it an excellent plan, and had it at her TONGUE’S END, and was on the point of proposing it when Mrs. Grant spoke.

23

  1843.  DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxix. It was ON THE TIP OF THE BOY’S TONGUE to relate what had followed, but he … checked himself.

24

  1851.  CARLYLE, Life of Sterling, v. In all manner of brilliant utterance and TONGUE-FENCE, I have hardly known his fellow.

25

  1859.  C. READE, Love Me Little, Love Me Long, x. Hum! Eve, wasn’t your TONGUE a little TOO LONG FOR YOUR TEETH just now? Ibid. (1861), The Cloister and the Hearth, iii. She would stand timidly aloof out of TONGUE-SHOT.

26

  1862.  J. R. LOWELL, The Biglow Papers, 2 S. iii.

        He jes’ ropes in your TONGUEY chaps an’ reg’lar ten-inch bores
An’ lets ’em play at Congress, ef they ’ll du it with closed doors.

27

  1866.  G. ELIOT, Felix Holt, xx. If a man takes to TONGUE-WORK, it’s all over with him.

28

  1876.  TENNYSON, Harold, v. 1.

                    The simple, silent, selfless man
Is worth a world of TONGUESTERS.
    Ibid. (1857), The Northern Cobbler, iv.
That Sally she turn’d a TONGUE-BANGER, an’ raäted ma.

29

  1899.  H. WYNDHAM, The Queen’s Service, 74. Beer has a marvellous effect in loosing TONGUES, and although there was not much … TONGUE-WAGGING, songs and toasts were very numerous.

30

  TO TONGUE A WOMAN, verb. phr. (venery).—See VELVET.

31