yap

shut your yap

An imperative to be quiet or cease talking immediately. Can be rude, aggressive, or jocular depending on the context. Shut your yap, Bobby—no one asked for the opinion of a dork like you! A: "So, where do you think we can sell these stolen goods?" B: "Shut your yap! Don't you have enough sense not to talk about that in public?" A: "Wow, that Cadillac has seen better days. How much did you pay for that little gem?" B: "Ah, shut your yap, Dave. I think it looks just fine."

See also: shut, yap

yap

1. noun, slang One's mouth. Used especially in the phrase "shut your yap." Shut your yap, Tom—you don't have the first clue what it takes to run this place. He stuffed the whole donut in his yap. It was pretty gross.

2. noun, slang Loud, inane, or meaningless chatter. Usually used in reduplicative constructions, e.g., "yap, yap(, yap)." I thought I was going to lose my mind if I had to listen to the yap, yap of their gossip any longer. All I hear on cable news is the same yap, yap, yap about some political scandal or another. They never cover actual news stories anymore!

yap about (someone or something)

slang To talk or chatter loudly, irritatingly, or inanely about someone or something. These two girls sitting behind me spent the whole plane ride yapping about the boys they liked in their school. I turned the radio off once the DJ started yapping about political issues.

See also: yap

yap at (one)

1. Of a dog, especially a small one, to bark intensely, aggressively, and ineffectually at one. Her tiny little Bichon Frise always yaps at me when I walk in the door, but runs away to the bedroom whenever I go near it.

2. To scold, criticize, or respond to one in a curt, aggressive manner. She yapped at me when I said I was going out to meet friends instead of helping her get the kids to bed. I know you don't approve of Todd's plan, but that doesn't give you the right to yap at him in front of everyone like that.

3. To talk to one about trite or meaningless things in an exhausting, tedious, and lengthy manner, especially without letting them respond or engage meaningfully. I got stuck sitting next to Randy at the company dinner, who just yapped at me all night about his fantasy football team. If you're just yapping at your clients about a bunch of numbers and graphs, you probably aren't getting them very interested in what you have to say.

See also: yap

yap away about (someone or something)

To talk ceaselessly or volubly about someone or something, especially in a loud, irritating, or inane manner. All they do whenever we get together is yap away about kids they don't like in our class. He keeps yapping away about all the problems with the project, but he never offers any helpful suggestions or solutions.

See also: away, yap

yap on (and on) about (someone or something)

To talk ceaselessly or volubly about someone or something, especially in a loud, irritating, or inane manner. All they do whenever we get together is yap on and on about kids they don't like in our class. He keeps yapping on about all the problems with the project, but he never offers any helpful suggestions or solutions.

See also: on, yap

yap, yap, yapping all day

Talking nonstop, especially about insignificant things. Connie's nice enough, but once she starts yap, yap, yapping all day, I feel a headache coming on.

See also: all, yap

yap, yap, yapping all day long

Talking nonstop, especially about insignificant things. Connie's nice enough, but once she starts yap, yap, yapping all day long, I feel a headache coming on.

See also: all, long, yap

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

yap about someone or something

to talk casually about someone or something; to gossip or complain about someone or something. Stop yapping about Molly. Claire is always yapping about her salary.

See also: yap

yap at someone

 

1. . Lit. [for a small dog] to bark at someone or something. The dog yapped at the cat in great frustration. I am tired of that dog yapping at me all the time!

2. Fig. [for someone] to scold or bark at someone shrilly. Don't yap at me. I didn't do it. Bob yapped at Bill for something he didn't do.

See also: yap

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

yap at

v. Slang

1. To bark sharply or shrilly at someone or something: The sheepdog yapped at the stray sheep.

2. To make a sharp, often hostile or scolding remark to someone: The batter yapped at the pitcher after he was hit by a pitch.

See also: yap

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

yap

1. n. the mouth. Shut your yap!

2. in. to chatter; to gossip. Did you just come here to yap?

3. n. nonsense; gibberish. That windbag can produce an enormous amount of yap.

4. in. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. Who yapped in the bushes?

5. n. a naive person; a dupe. See if you can get that yap to bring over a left-handed monkey wrench.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.