tongue-in-cheek en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
This phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheek. The term first appeared in print in 1828, but it isn't entirely clear that it was used with the modern, rather than a literal, sense. A later citation from Richard Barham is unambiguous.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.
He gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation of why the sky was blue, offering a theory about some primordial discount on light blue paint.
The tongue-in-cheek sendup wasn’t far from Silicon Valley’s reality.
2025 August 4, Mike Isaac, “A.I. Has Ushered in Silicon Valley’s ‘Hard Tech’ Era”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2025:It was in this era, too, that author and Scotland the Brave songwriter Cliff Hanley penned The Glasgow Underground, a tongue-in-cheek love letter to the Subway in song.
2021 December 29, Conrad Landin, “Glasgow Subway: a city institution”, in RAIL, number 947, page 45:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tongue in cheek | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most tongue-in-cheek | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more tongue-in-cheek | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
humorous · quick-witted · bright · jocose · witty · tongue-in-cheek · piquant · jocular · diverting · entertaining · quick on the draw · sharp · quick · droll · amusing
Translations (17)
pl z przymrużeniem oka (witty, jocular, humorous) · es de broma (witty, jocular, humorous) · ru лука́вый (witty, jocular, humorous) · hu kaján (witty, jocular, humorous) · de mit einem Augenzwinkern (witty, jocular, humorous) · el αστείος (witty, jocular, humorous) · ru шутливый (witty, jocular, humorous) · el χιουμοριστικός (witty, jocular, humorous) · de augenzwinkernd (witty, jocular, humorous) · nl met een knipoog (witty, jocular, humorous) · es burlón (witty, jocular, humorous) · id jenaka (witty, jocular, humorous) · ru насме́шливый (witty, jocular, humorous) · es como chiste (witty, jocular, humorous) · fr second degré (witty, jocular, humorous) · sv med glimten i ögat (witty, jocular, humorous) · es irónico (witty, jocular, humorous)