Keep your mouth shut
Meaning
To remain silent and avoid speaking, often as a direct command to stop talking or to refrain from revealing information.
Origin
The phrase "Keep your mouth shut" is a blunt, uncompromising directive, rooted in the very physical act of sealing one's lips. While the literal command for silence has existed as long as language itself, its emergence as a widely recognized idiom, particularly for discretion or self-preservation, gained prominence in the 19th century. It embodies the stark recognition that spoken words often carry consequences, and that controlling what one says—or says nothing at all—can be the most potent form of self-defense or secrecy. This phrase strips away politeness, going straight to the core command for absolute silence.
Examples
- If you don't want to get into trouble, just keep your mouth shut about what we saw.
- Her father told her to keep her mouth shut when the boss started complaining, so she wouldn't make things worse.