lip (redirected from lips)

be on everyone's lips

if a word or question is on everyone's lips, a lot of people are talking about it and interested in it. And the question that's on everyone's lips at the moment is, will he have to resign over the scandal?

be tight-lipped

1. to have an angry expression. Dad was harassed and tight-lipped and I thought he was going to lose his temper.

2. to not give any information about something. Army spokesmen are tight-lipped about planned operations. (usually + about)

curl your lip (literary)

to lift one side of your mouth in an expression which shows that you do not like or respect something or someone. Don't you curl your lip at me, young miss!

See also: curl

give/pay lip service to something

to say that you agree with and support an idea or plan but not do anything to help it to succeed. The company pays lip service to the notion of racial equality but you look around you and all you see are white faces.

See also: give, pay, service

lick your lips

to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen, usually because you think you will get something good from it. Meanwhile, the property developers are licking their lips at the prospect of all the money they're going to make.

See also: lick

My lips are sealed. (humorous)

something you say to let someone know that you will not tell anyone else what they have just told you. 'I'd prefer you not to mention this to anyone else.' 'My lips are sealed.'

See also: seal

Read my lips! (informal)

a slightly impolite way of telling someone to listen to what you are saying. Read my lips. You're not having any more ice-cream.

See also: read

a stiff upper lip

an ability to stay calm and not show feelings of sadness or fear. You weren't allowed to show emotion in those days. You had to keep a stiff upper lip at all times. I never once saw my father cry or show any sign of vulnerability - it's that old British stiff upper lip.

See also: stiff, upper

There's many a slip twixt cup and lip. (literary)

something that you say in order to warn someone not to be too confident about the result of a plan, because many things can go wrong before it is completed. We still might finish in time for the deadline, but there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

See also: cup, many, slip

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your lips are sealed

you will not talk about something. He acts like he wants you to ask what happened, and then if you do ask, he tells you his lips are sealed.

See also: seal

on everyone's lips

being talked about by many people. He hasn't answered the question on everyone's lips — how is his health?

smack your lips

to show excitement or satisfaction. Planners began smacking their lips at the thought of all that farmland to build on.

Etymology: from the sound made when you quickly move your lips together and apart to show you are hungry or that you like something

See also: smack