Idiom
speak with a forked tongue
Meaning
To speak deceptively; to be duplicitous or untruthful.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Do not trust him, he speaks with a forked tongue.”
“You speak with a forked tongue when you lie to your friends.”
“Be careful because dishonest people often speak with a forked tongue.”
“The politician promised lower taxes, but his recent actions suggest he speaks with a forked tongue.”
“The salesman spoke with a forked tongue when he told me the car was in perfect condition despite the engine problems.”
“My manager speaks with a forked tongue by praising my work in person but criticizing me during meetings with the director.”
“Despite his charming demeanor, the diplomat was known to speak with a forked tongue, often promising peace while secretly arming the opposition.”
Examples
simple
“Do not trust him, he speaks with a forked tongue.”
“You speak with a forked tongue when you lie to your friends.”
“Be careful because dishonest people often speak with a forked tongue.”
contextual
“The politician promised lower taxes, but his recent actions suggest he speaks with a forked tongue.”
“The salesman spoke with a forked tongue when he told me the car was in perfect condition despite the engine problems.”
“My manager speaks with a forked tongue by praising my work in person but criticizing me during meetings with the director.”
complex
“Despite his charming demeanor, the diplomat was known to speak with a forked tongue, often promising peace while secretly arming the opposition.”
Origin
Possibly from the split tongue of a snake, an anatomical feature associated with the capacity to project two different messages. The phrase remains of uncertain origin, resting upon the observation that a serpent possesses a bifurcated organ which suggests, by way of simple biological metaphor, the act of saying one thing while simultaneously meaning another.
Key words
Related idioms
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