LIP idioms (body idioms)

Contents

What is a lip?

A lip is the fleshy part around the mouth. The plural is ‘lips’. We use the plural form when refering to the lips e.g. He kissed me on the lips.

Let’s look at some popular body idioms that contain the word ‘lip’.

give someone lip
meaning – talk to someone disrespectfully/backchat
example – I’m grounded again, I gave the teacher some lip and she sent me home.
keep a stiff upper lip
meaning – be brave and not reveal your emotions during difficult times
example – Stewart kept a stiff upper lip even though he didn’t get picked for the team.
lips are sealed
meaning – promise to keep the secret
example – Don’t worry, their lips are sealed. They won’t get us into trouble.
on everyone’s lips
meaning – something that is being talked/gossiped about by lots of people
example – He has been caught again cheating on here. The question on everyone’s lips is…Will she divorce him?
read one’s lips
meaning – listen carefully and follow the speaker’s words
example – Read my lips! You’re not getting on a motorbike with that boy.
tight-lipped
meaning – reluctant to speak about something
example – I think my daughter is being bullied but she is staying very tight-lipped about it.

Here’s some real life picture examples.

You can download a table of ‘lip’ idioms and expressions below.

If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.