mum's the word
5
8.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
boca cerrada
- If someone asks about our surprise party, just remember, mum's the word.
- Okay, mum's the word
- Yes, mum's the word
- Mum's the word, right
Examples
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- Mum's the word, Charlie.
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Mum's the word where the Major's concerned.
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As you can see, mum's the word here.
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Thanks again and mum's the word on this.
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And remember, mum's the word.
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Then mum's the word, sir.
Fiction book (1993) -
A girl has only one confidante and mum's the word.
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So, if you don't want Sarah to know, then... mum's the word.
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Remember, mum's the word.
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Mum's the word.
Synonyms
116
5.6
To say nothing to avoid trouble or keep a secret
90
2.5
To say nothing or not tell a secret
76
2.6
To not tell anyone private information
4
4.4
To stop talking to keep a secret or when told to be quiet
3
7.5
Stay quiet about something private
1
7.6
To not tell people your plans or feelings to get an advantage
1
9.5
A warning not to talk about a subject because it may make people angry
Not say anything or tell other people
A warning that careless talk can cause trouble by revealing secrets
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
mum's + the + word
The phrase literally combines 'mum' (meaning 'be silent') with 'the word', so a learner who knows 'mum' in the sense 'keep quiet' could infer the meaning 'don't tell / keep quiet'. However, that sense of 'mum' is colloquial and not universally known at B1, and the fixed idiomatic phrasing (contraction/possession) makes the expression only partly predictable from its parts.
Etymology
Mum's the word may come from the old use of mum which meant 'silent'. Picture someone holding their lips shut to hide a secret. That's why mum's the word means 'keep quiet' or 'don't tell'.