speak with a forked tongue en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
* Possibly from the split tongue of a snake.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.
He's spoken with a forked tongue to reporters, and his explanations for launching a probe don't pass the plausibility and credibility tests.
2008 March 26, “Let a real "probe" begin”, in Sandusky Register online, retrieved 26 Mar 2008:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| speaks with a forked tongue | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| speaking with a forked tongue | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| spoke with a forked tongue | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| spoken with a forked tongue | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Relateds
out of both sides of one's mouth
Translations (6)
sv tala med kluven tunga (Translations) · pl oszukać (Translations) · fi puhua yhtä ja sitten toista (Translations) · nl met twee monden spreken (Translations) · pl oszukiwać (Translations) · es hablar con lengua viperina (Translations)