Meanings
proverb
- It's best not to talk too much.
- It's better to not say anything than to say something suspicious or troublesome.
Origin
Unknown. Equivalent expressions are found in several languages, so it is difficult to tell if it originated in English or a different language.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish vaikeneminen on kultaa
- vaikeneminen on kultaaIt's best not to talk too much
Italian un bel tacer non fu mai scritto
- un bel tacer non fu mai scrittoIt's best not to talk too much
Polish mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotem
- mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotemIt's best not to talk too much
Portuguese em boca fechada não entra mosquito, em boca fechada não entra mosca
- em boca fechada não entra mosquitoIt's best not to talk too much
- em boca fechada não entra moscaIt's best not to talk too much
Spanish en boca cerrada no entran moscas
- en boca cerrada no entran moscasIt's best not to talk too much
Cite this entry
APA
a closed mouth catches no flies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20catches%20no%20flies
MLA
“a closed mouth catches no flies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20catches%20no%20flies. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a closed mouth catches no flies,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20catches%20no%20flies.
Source: a closed mouth catches no flies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.