keep a civil tongue in one's mouth

A form of keep a civil tongue in one's head — To maintain a polite manner of speaking.

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Meanings

verbkeep a civil tongue in one's mouth (third-person singular simple present keeps a civil tongue in one's mouth, present participle keeping a civil tongue in one's mouth, simple past and past participle kept a civil tongue in one's mouth)

present singular third person keeps a civil tongue in one's mouth · participle present keeping a civil tongue in one's mouth · participle past kept a civil tongue in one's mouth · past kept a civil tongue in one's mouth

  1. alternativeAlternative form of keep a civil tongue in one's head.
Cite this entry
APA

keep a civil tongue in one's mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20a%20civil%20tongue%20in%20one's%20mouth

MLA

“keep a civil tongue in one's mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20a%20civil%20tongue%20in%20one's%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep a civil tongue in one's mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20a%20civil%20tongue%20in%20one's%20mouth.

Source: keep a civil tongue in one's mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.