slip of the lip
An unintentional mistake made while one is speaking, such as incorrect pronunciation, word choice, or meaning. The news anchor's innocent slip of the lip has gone viral, of course.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
slip of the lip
Also, slip of the tongue or pen . An inadvertent mistake in speaking (or writing), as in It was just a slip of the lip that made me say the wrong name, or She didn't mean it; it was a slip of the tongue, or He intended to write "the honorable" but a slip of the pen turned it into "reverend." The usage with pen dates from the mid-1600s; the others are a century or so younger.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.