lay one's tongue to
To say; to name; to think of to say.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I cannot lay my tongue to the name of that song.”
“She knew the answer perfectly well, but she could not lay her tongue to the right words during the presentation.”
“Although the memory of the event remained vivid in his mind, he found he could not lay his tongue to a single phrase that might adequately describe the tragedy.”
- 01
a wild goose never laid a tame egg
Most things are inherited and predetermined.
- 02
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 03
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 04
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 05
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 06
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 07
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 08
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
Last updated August 10, 2026