Mum's the word
Don't tell anyone
TRANSLATION
Mum's the word = Kein Wort darüber! Nichts verraten! Nicht weitersagen!
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"MUM'S THE WORD on soaring Swedish household debt as poll nears - four in 10 borrowers are not paying off debt and politicians don’t want to hear a word about it."
The Irish Times
Did you
know?
Mum's the word
colloquial phrase
- to be silent; not saying a word (adjective)
- say nothing! be silent! (interjection)
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ORIGIN
Although this meaning of keeping quiet about something, especially a secret, dates from about 1700, mum, meaning "silence," is much older, possibly from Middle English where "mummer" referred to a pantomime performer.
Note the phonetically similar German word "stumm" (Old High German "stum", Latin "mutus") meaning "silent, mute".
"Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum."
William Shakespeare - Henry VI (1:2)
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SYNONYMS
(just) between you and me, keep this to yourself, our lips are sealed, say nothing, keep mum
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION, say something like:
"The board's decision will be announced next week, but in the meantime, MUM'S THE WORD."
