wag (redirected from tongues wagged)

cause (some) tongues to wag

Fig. to cause people to gossip; to give people something to gossip about. The way John was looking at Mary will surely cause some tongues to wag. The way Mary was so scantily dressed will also cause tongues to wag.

See also: cause, tongue

set tongues (a)wagging

Fig. to cause people to start gossiping. The affair between the boss and her accountant set tongues a wagging. If you don't get the lawn mowed soon, you will set tongues wagging in the neighborhood.

See also: set, tongue

tail wagging the dog

a situation where a small part is controlling the whole of something. John was just hired yesterday, and today he's bossing everyone around. It's a case of the tail wagging the dog. Why is this small matter taking so much time? Now it's the tail wagging the dog!

See also: dog, tail

wag one's chin

Rur. to talk. She loves to visit. She'll wag her chin for hours. He was on the phone, wagging his chin to his buddy.

See also: chin

---

set/start tongues wagging  (informal)

if something that someone says or does sets tongues wagging, it causes people to talk about them His late-night visit to her home has set tongues wagging.

See also: set, tongue

the tail wagging the dog

if you describe a situation as the tail wagging the dog, you mean that the least important part of a situation has too much influence over the most important part Steve thinks we should buy an orange carpet to match the lampshade but I think that would be a case of the tail wagging the dog.

See also: dog, tail