Mouth Idioms

Several words have found themselves used in a number of phrases. We looked at 'hand' last time and this time it's 'mouth'.

Mouthorgan is not seen until the 1660s.

Mouth-breather is a description first recorded in 1883 (although I have no idea what it was describing).

Mouth-to-mouth was not performed until 1909, or at least not recorded as such. Interesting to note it is by no means certain this referred to artificial respiration.

Word of mouth is a phrase first recorded in the 1550s.

To put words into someone’s mouth is first recorded at the end of the 14th century.

But to take words out of someone’s mouth had to wait another 40/50 years until around the 1520s.

Nobody was down in the mouth before the 1640s, or at least it was not descibed as such – incidentally, it is a reference to the mouth being turned down at the corners.

Blabbermouth is not seen until 1931.

Cottonmouth is a venomous snake of the southern US states, named for the white line along its mouth, is first described as such in 1851.

While nothing was mouth-watering before 1822….

…. surprisingly a mouthwash is recorded in 1801.

Mouthpieces are seen as part of musical instruments as early as 1776, this later used to refer to one who speaks for another in 1805, and in a legal sense from 1857.