find your voice/tongue

find (one's) tongue

To regain the ability to speak, especially after feeling frightened, nervous, or at a loss for words. It took him a minute, but Pete found his tongue again after we startled him at his surprise party. The little boy, who had been huddled nervously at the back, found his tongue and told the detectives what happened. After I lost my place in the script, it took a few seconds for me to find my tongue again.

See also: find, tongue

find (one's) voice

1. To find one's distinctive style or vision of artistic expression. I think this is your best story yet, Betsy—you've really found your voice as a writer. It takes time to find your voice, but I'm confident you'll get there by the end of our photography class. You're never going to find your voice as a photographer if you keep copying other people's styles.

2. To regain the ability to speak, especially after something frightening or startling has happened. It took him a minute, but Pete found his voice again after we startled him at his surprise party. The little boy, who had been huddled nervously at the back, found his voice and told the detectives what happened. After I lost my place in the script, it took a few seconds for me to find my voice again.

See also: find, voice

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

find your tongue

If you find your tongue, you begin to talk, when you have been too shy, frightened, shocked or embarrassed to say anything before. All four men stared at him. It was Livingstone who found his tongue first.

See also: find, tongue

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

find your ˈvoice/ˈtongue

(informal) finally be able to speak after being too nervous or shy to do so: He sat silent through the first half of the meeting before he found his tongue.

See also: find, tongue, voice

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017