tongue in cheek
to be ironic, not serious
TRANSLATION
ironisch, mit ironischem Unterton, nicht ernst gemeint
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"So I'm a 'City Slicker' in some regards - but the song is a bittongue-in-cheek, and of course the delivery is a bit over the top. It's that way on a couple of the songs."
(James Young in Rock Scene Magazine, October 1986)
(James Young in Rock Scene Magazine, October 1986)
Did you
know?
Did you know?
The 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. There is no evidence to support this story or the idea that the phrase comes from the theatre.
The phrase dates to 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.
The 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. There is no evidence to support this story or the idea that the phrase comes from the theatre.
The phrase dates to 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.
