stick out (one's) tongue

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stick out (one's) tongue

1. To protrude one's tongue out of one's mouth. Often done in a childishly mocking, contemptuous, or defiant manner. I stuck out my tongue to catch the snowflakes falling from the sky. She just stuck out her tongue when I told her to go do the dishes. The children kept sticking out their tongues at each other, then bursting into laughter.
2. By extension, to do something that openly mocks, flouts, or shows contempt for someone or something. The company continues to stick out its tongue at the government by refusing to comply with anti-corruption legislation. You can't just stick out your tongue at the rules like that and expect to get away with it scot-free!
See also: out, stick, tongue
References in periodicals archive ?
"If you stick out your tongue and close your mouth most people's tongues are only a couple of centimetres long," said Stephen.
Stephen's got it licked! CITY MAN RETAINS GUINNESS RECORD WITH WORLD'S LONGEST TONGUE
(You can try it yourself: If you stick out your tongue and try to lick your own chin, you'll notice the top of your tongue is facing outward.)
What the cat's tongue catches
* Stick out Your Tongue!: Fantastic Facts, Features, and Functions of Animal and Human Tongues by Joan Bonsignore (Peachtree Publishers, 200l) features facts and functions of unusual animal tongues.
Tongue twister: can you design an animal "tongue?"
IN 1985, after being hunted by Chinese authorities for three years and being divorced from his wife, Ma Jian took a journey to Tibet to "find a refuge." The result of this spiritual quest culminated in a collection of stories under the title Stick Out Your Tongue, which was banned by the Chinese government when it was first published in the journal People's Literature in 2987.
It is interesting that "Stick Out Your Tongue" is not one of the titles of the five stories in the collection.
Ma Jian. Stick Out Your Tongue
Go to a mirror and stick out your tongue. Those bumps are called papillae (puh-PILL-eye).
One mighty important muscle
Stick out your tongue. Does it have a heavy white or grey coat?
Signs of bad breath
Before you get too busy with the tongue scraping, stand in front of a mirror (in natural light, and making sure you haven't eaten or drunk anything immediately beforehand), stick out your tongue and have a look at its coating, colour and shape.
HEALTH: LICK yourself into shape; The only time most of us pay attention to our tongue is after a big night out when it feels rough as hell and furry as a bunny's bottom. But ignore it at your peril, as sticking your tongue out is the easiest way to spot lurking health problems
When it's your turn, you grip the chair, squeeze your eyes shut, and stick out your tongue. Suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your mouth.
The Hole Story
So if you are feeling under the weather stick out your tongue and have a good look.
HEALTH: CHECK-UP; This week we advise you to stick your tongue out at yourself and find that a giggle helps stop pain and that laughter really is the best medicine
Go to a mirror and stick out your tongue. Those bumps on your tongue are called papillae (pa-PIL-eye).
ONE MIGHTY IMPORTANT MUSCLE
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