a closed mouth gathers no feet
- idiom
- Informal
:
el que calla otorga
- If you are unsure what to say, remember that a closed mouth gathers no feet.
Examples
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Whenever arguments start at family dinners, my grandmother always says, 'A closed mouth gathers no feet.'
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After embarrassing himself in front of his boss, Tom realized that a closed mouth gathers no feet.
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Remember, a closed mouth gathers no feet!
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She often reminds me that a closed mouth gathers no feet.
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Tom learned that a closed mouth gathers no feet after his last meeting ended in confusion.
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During discussions, Sarah often refers to the saying, 'A closed mouth gathers no feet,' to emphasize listening.
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My teacher reminded us that a closed mouth gathers no feet when we were tempted to share rumors.
Synonyms
231
1.0
To stop making noise or talking
116
5.6
To say nothing to avoid trouble or keep a secret
90
2.5
To say nothing or not tell a secret
4
4.4
To stop talking to keep a secret or when told to be quiet
3
5.4
To stay silent to avoid saying something rude
Not say anything or tell other people
Not speaking is often better than saying things you do not need to say
Not speaking to show your feelings or thoughts
Antonyms
How Silent
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + closed + mouth + gather + no + feet
The element 'a closed mouth' is transparent and signals silence to a learner who knows the words, but the clause 'gathers no feet' is a metaphorical, idiomatic image that is not directly predictable from 'gather' + 'feet' without cultural knowledge (cf. 'put your foot in your mouth'). Because part of the meaning is compositional while the crucial metaphorical mapping requires prior exposure, the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
A closed mouth gathers no feet gives a funny picture: if your closed mouth stays shut, no feet can get in. So it means 'staying quiet helps you avoid saying something foolish or getting into trouble'.