tongue-in-cheek
adjective phrase

- If you say something “tongue-in-cheek”, you intend it to be understood as a joke, although you might appear to be serious

Cambridge Dictionary

---
ORIGIN

A commonly told story about this phrase is that it comes from the actors’ practice of putting their tongue into their cheek to keep from laughing at an inappropriate moment.

The phrase dates from 1748 when it was fashionable to signal dislike for someone by making a bulge in their cheek with their tongue.

By 1842 the phrase had acquired its modern, ironic sense.

—
SYNONYMS

cheeky, comical, farcical, flippant, frivolous, funny, humorous, in fun, in jest, ironic, irreverent, jesting, jocular, jokey, joking, joshing, light-hearted, not serious, playful, pulling someone’s leg, putting one on, satirical, teasing, TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, unserious, wisecracking, wry

—
TONGUE TERMS

- a slip of the tongue = an unintended word

- a tongue-lashing = very severe criticism

- on the tip of the tongue = almost remembered

- I bit my tongue = I forced myself not to speak

- cat got your tongue? = why aren’t you speaking?

- causing tongues to wag = creating gossip

- hold your tongue! = don’t speak!

- a sharp tongue = a critical voice

- speak with a forked tongue = to speak lies, untruths

- silver-tongued = a charming, fluent speaker

—
PRACTICE OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“A speaker at the conference gave a TONGUE-IN-CHEEK speech about the current economic condition of the country.”

—
A warm shout-out to Jane for suggesting today’s OWAD phrase.

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

Paul Smith