# slip of the tongue

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/slip-of-the-tongue
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A mistake in speech.

## Examples

- It was just a slip of the tongue — I meant to say 'June'.
- When she called her new boss by her ex-husband's name, she apologized and said it was a slip of the tongue.
- In the heated debate, the senator's unfortunate slip of the tongue was clipped and circulated online within minutes.

## Origin

The phrase appears in English as a calque of the Latin lapsus linguae, preserving the literal mechanics of the original expression. It functions as a direct translation, substituting the Latin components with their English equivalents to describe a verbal error.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.