Meanings
- humorousOne who does not speak can be sure of not saying anything embarrassing.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
1972, American Eagle, San Francisco, Calif.: American Forest Products Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, column 25 more examples
From the wall of a New York bar: "A closed mouth gathers no feet."
1958, “Wall Signs Dept.”, in Advertising Agency, volume 51, Bristol, Conn.: Moore Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 9Now disinflation is conventional wisdom on Wall Street, and Rutledge makes no apologies for his flamboyance: "A closed mouth gathers no feet," he says.
1987, Forbes, volume 139, New York, N.Y.: Forbes, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 71Or just keep your mouth shut. As sex therapist Marty Klein says, "A closed mouth gathers no feet."
1993 April, “The Playboy Advisor”, in Hugh M[arston] Hefner, editor, Playboy, volume 40, number 4, Chicago, Ill.: Playboy Enterprises, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 39, column 1So open your mouth to speak about what is good. And above all remember that "a closed mouth gathers no feet!"
1996, Marvin Phillips, “A Closed Mouth Gathers No Feet”, in Never Lick a Moving Blender!: Humorous Insights that Motivate and Encourage, West Monroe, La.: Howard Publishing, →ISBN; republished New York, N.Y.: Howard Books, 2010, →ISBN, page 72Bubba said he would like to go along. Leonard said, "That's okay, Bubba, but please allow me to do the talking. Remember, a closed mouth gathers no feet."
2001, Gary W. Carter, “The Role of a Tax Consultant”, in Getting Started in Tax Consulting, New York, N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 21
Origin
From put one's foot in one's mouth (“to say something embarrassing or wrong, or to make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing or offensive”), adopting the structure of a rolling stone gathers no moss and a closed mouth catches no flies.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French ceux qui ne disent rien n’ont jamais tort
- ceux qui ne disent rien n’ont jamais tortone who does not speak can be sure of not saying anything embarrassing
Portuguese em boca fechada não entra mosca
- em boca fechada não entra moscaone who does not speak can be sure of not saying anything embarrassing
Spanish en boca cerrada no entran moscas
- en boca cerrada no entran moscasone who does not speak can be sure of not saying anything embarrassing
Cite this entry
a closed mouth gathers no feet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20gathers%20no%20feet
“a closed mouth gathers no feet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20gathers%20no%20feet. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a closed mouth gathers no feet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20closed%20mouth%20gathers%20no%20feet.
Source: a closed mouth gathers no feet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.