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Tongue-in-cheek
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Tongue-in-cheek

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Tongue-in-cheek is the action of poking one's cheek with the tongue inside the mouth. The phrase can be used as a figure of speech to imply a statement or other production is intended ironically and not to be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort.1 In the past, it might also indicate contempt but that is no longer common.2 By 1842 the phrase had acquired its contemporary meaning similar to "take what I am saying with a grain of salt", indicating that a statement was not meant to be taken seriously.345 Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott in his 1828 The Fair Maid of Perth.3 In the era of instant messaging the smiley is used to connote the same expression.6

Contents

History

Putting one's tongue into a cheek was formerly used to signify contempt. For example, in Tobias George Smollett's The Adventures of Roderick Random, which was published in 1748, the eponymous hero is taking a coach to Bath and apprehends a highwayman. This provokes an altercation with a less brave passenger:7

“ He looked black and pronounced with a faultering voice, 'O! 'tis very well — d—n my blood! I shall find a time.' I signified my contempt of him by thrusting my tongue in my cheek, which humbled him so much, that he scarce swore another oath aloud during the whole journey. ”

A similar usage appears in 1828 in The Fair Maid of Perth by Sir Walter Scott, "The fellow who gave this all-hail thrust his tongue in his cheek to some scapegraces like himself." The more modern ironic sense appears in the 1842 poem, The Ingoldsby Legends, in which a Frenchman inspects a watch and cries: 38

'Superbe! Magnifique!'
(with his tongue in his cheek)

The ironic usage originates with the idea of suppressed mirth — biting one's tongue to prevent an outburst of laughter.9

Online

Interaction and conversation online is often done without being able to see the faces of the other parties. A smiley such as :P may be used to signal jocularity and has been called the tongue-in-cheek symbol.6 The expression may be denoted more graphically with forms such as :-? or :-J.10

References

  1. ^ EH Lindley (1896), "A preliminary study of some of the motor phenomena of mental effort", The American Journal of Psychology 
  2. ^ John Ayto (2009), From the Horse's Mouth, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780199543793, http://books.google.com/books?id=BC8_tRvBSvsC& 
  3. ^ a b c Gene Owens (December 4, 2007). "'Tongue in cheek' is cut-and-dried phrase". The Oklahoman. http://newsok.com/article/3176644/1196722011. "... Novelist Sir Walter Scott used 'tongue in cheek' as early as 1828 in 'The Fair Maid of Perth,' but it isn't clear what he meant. In 1845, the expression appeared in its present sense in a poem from 'The Ingoldsby Legends,' a series of myths, legends and ghost stories by Richard Barham. It tells about a Frenchman who examined an English watch and cried, 'Superbe! Magnifique!' With his tongue in his cheek. The most believable explanation for the origin is that in the 1700s, people would show contempt or skepticism by using the tongue to poke a bulge into the cheek. By 1842, 'tongue in cheek' had acquired its modern meaning: 'Take this with a grain of salt; it's intended to be humorously ironic.' ..." 
  4. ^ H Chay, Contrastive metaphor of Korean and English revealed in 'mouth' and 'tongue' expressions 
  5. ^ IG Zoltan (2006), "Use Your Body", Philologia 
  6. ^ a b D. Russell (1989). The principles of computer networking. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521339926. http://books.google.com/books?id=ReDwVJGlxLsC&pg=PA300. 
  7. ^ Tobias George Smollett (1780), The adventures of Roderick Random, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ld8kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA200 
  8. ^ "Tongue in cheek". Phrases.org. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/tongue-in-cheek.html. Retrieved 2010-08-30. "The term first appeared in print in 'The Fair Maid of Perth', by that inveterate coiner of phrases, Sir Walter Scott, 1828:" 
  9. ^ Nick Marshallsay (2005), The body language phrasebook, Collins & Brown, ISBN 9781843403043, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AEL0XOWn0sEC&pg=PA37 
  10. ^ Steven A. Beebe, Mark Redmond, Terri Geerinck (2003), Interpersonal communication, Pearson Education, ISBN 9780205360741, http://books.google.com/books?id=0OZJaw2JC9oC 

See also

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