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  • Hi.

  • You know what this is?

  • This is a "tongue".

  • Do you have a tongue?

  • I hope so.

  • If you didn't, you couldn't talk.

  • Today I'm going to teach you some expressions or some idioms about the word "tongue".

  • So, first of all, the pronunciation of this word is a little crazy; a little difficult.

  • It looks like: "tongue", but it's actually just: "tong".

  • So, practice that at first: "tongue".

  • Don't say the "u" or the "e"; just say: "tong".

  • Stick out your tongue.

  • Most people don't like it when you stick out your tongue, so do it all the time;

  • annoy people.

  • I'm going to teach you expressions using this.

  • And I usually am not a fan of idioms; I think idioms are usually outdated, which means they're old,

  • and we don't use them, but these ones we do use and they're kind of fun.

  • And interestingly enough, you might have the same expressions in your language.

  • So, let's do a little culture quiz, shall we?

  • Let's see how many of these you have in your language, or how they're different.

  • So, the first one, someone might say to you: -"Hey.

  • Has the cat got your tongue?"

  • -"I don't have a cat.

  • What are you talking about?

  • Why would a cat get my tongue?"

  • So, this expression: "Has the cat got your tongue?"

  • means you don't talk.

  • So, they're asking you: "Why are you not talking?

  • Why are you not answering me?

  • Has the cat got your tongue?"

  • I don't know why it's a cat.

  • Why isn't it a dog?

  • So, it just means you aren't talking.

  • There's a reason - you don't want to.

  • -"Has the cat got your tongue?"

  • -"Meow" would be a good reply.

  • The next one: If someone has a "silver" or a "smooth tongue", this means they are able

  • to speak very well; they have a good way with words, you can also say.

  • For example, you can say: "She is a great salesperson because of her silver tongue."

  • If you have a silver tongue, you are able to speak to people; you can maybe sell them things;

  • you are charismatic, which means you can talk to people, you can charm them.

  • Do you have a silver tongue?

  • Mine's just a normal tongue.

  • If your tongue was silver, I'd try and steal it and sell it.

  • No I wouldn't.

  • Next one: "Bite your tongue".

  • When you do this, it really hurts.

  • Okay?

  • You're eating: "Ow!

  • Ow, what happened?

  • Oh, I bit my tongue.

  • That was stupid.

  • Why did I...?"

  • Okay.

  • So, biting your tongue is actually a literal thing, but as the idiom, it means that

  • you don't speak on purpose.

  • So, you want to tell someone something, but you bite your tongue to prevent you from speaking.

  • Example: "I had to bite my tongue in the meeting because if I spoke or if I said what I thought,

  • I probably would have gotten fired."

  • So, if you bite your tongue it's you prevent yourself from speaking, probably because you're

  • going to say something that someone doesn't like.

  • But don't bite your tongue; it really hurts.

  • Bite a sandwich or something.

  • This is good for you guys that are learning to speak English: "Slip of the tongue".

  • Oo, that sounds a little dangerous; a little slip of the tongue.

  • Yeah?

  • Okay.

  • So: "a slip of the tongue" means you make a small mistake when you speak.

  • Oh, hey, there's an expression for this.

  • So, guess what?

  • When you're learning English and you're trying to speak English, even if you make a small

  • mistake, it's okay.

  • It's called "a slip of the tongue".

  • We...

  • I do this all the time.

  • So, instead of going: "Oh my god!

  • Wow, my English is terrible", you can say: "Ah, it was just a slip of the tongue.

  • Sorry.

  • I used the past tense instead of the past perfect.

  • That's fine.

  • It was a slip of the tongue."

  • Sometimes you can use it like this: "Oh, I was embarrassed by my slip of the tongue."

  • So maybe you said something that was wrong, and you felt embarrassed.

  • But, again, you shouldn't feel embarrassed; it's just a mistake.

  • Everyone makes mistakes.

  • Everyone.

  • No one's perfect.

  • No, no one.

  • This is interesting, too, for you guys: "mother tongue".

  • So, what?

  • Why is my mother here?

  • Mom?

  • Your mother tongue, this makes sense.

  • Your "mother tongue" is your native language.

  • So, for example, if you're from France, you could say: "French is my mother tongue."

  • This makes sense because it's what your mother spoke.

  • Now, I don't know why it's not your "father's tongue".

  • Oh, because they have different tongues.

  • I don't know.

  • So, it's called your "mother tongue".

  • English is my mother tongue.

  • Maybe you have three mother tongues.

  • Cool.

  • But we usually use one of them.

  • This is interesting, too: "to speak in tongues".

  • This has a very, very old religious meaning.

  • Back in the day, which means a long time ago, a lot of people were charged or believed to

  • be possessed by the Devil.

  • And when someone was possessed by the Devil, they would speak a demonic language.

  • So, maybe your mother tongue is French, and all of a sudden you become very sick or a

  • little bit crazy, and you begin to speak Japanese.

  • This is a very mysterious thing because if you speak in tongues, you mysteriously speak

  • another language that you didn't learn.

  • So, a long time ago people believed that if someone did this, they were possessed by the

  • Devil, and...

  • Well, just kill them.

  • Go ahead.

  • Today we still use this in a religious way.

  • So: "He spoke in tongues; we didn't understand."

  • If I have my understanding of this correctly, there are a lot of evangelists on TV.

  • So, "evangelists" means people who preach the Bible.

  • So, they like to tell you things and they like to have your money.

  • I'll have your money.

  • And they get into a trance, and they feel the power of God, and they start to say some

  • really strange things.

  • It's not real; they're just: "[Mumbles].

  • Give me money.

  • Donate.

  • Give me money to God to help you", and magically the people in the audience who were in wheelchairs

  • can get up and walk again.

  • It's amazing.

  • If you'd like to donate money to me, I can make you walk again.

  • Yeah, that'll happen.

  • I promise.

  • So, "to speak in tongues" means you speak another language that you've never learned.

  • Interesting, off topic-that's what I do-when my great-aunt was dying, she didn't speak

  • English, she spoke Gaelic because that was her mother tongue.

  • So, she was born in Scotland, and when she was losing her mind as people do when they

  • die, she spoke Gaelic.

  • And I was like: "Minnie, I...

  • What are you saying?

  • I don't understand you."

  • Because her brain reverted back to her mother tongue.

  • Interesting.

  • I wanted to learn, but she died.

  • Now I guess I can study myself, then.

  • Interesting story.

  • And this is a really good one: If "someone's tongue is hanging out for something"-usually

  • beer-it means you really, really want something; usually food or drinks.

  • So, you will hear people: "Oh my god, my tongue was hanging out for a beer."

  • Or like a dog.

  • When a dog's thirsty, they sweat, their tongue hangs out.

  • They want water; not beer, though.

  • So, we usually use this for beer, but you can say: "Oh, my tongue was hanging out for

  • a hamburger."

  • Or: "Oh, my tongue was hanging out for a glass of water", because you're really, really thirsty.

  • You really want something.

  • So, the next time someone speaks in another tongue, you can bet that they're possessed

  • by Satan, and maybe you can help them.

  • I don't know.

  • Ta-ta for now.

Hi.

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