Word.ws English Dictionary

keeping a civil tongue in one's head

keeping a civil tongue in one's head is the present participle and gerund of keep a civil tongue in one's head.

Meaning of keep a civil tongue in one's head

Verb

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

  1. (idiomatic) To maintain a polite manner of speaking.
    • "I've had enough of that kind of talk. I don't intend to submit to your impudence. When you speak to me keep a civil tongue in your head."1875, Horatio Alger, chapter 20, in Herbert Carter's Legacy

Questions about keeping a civil tongue in one's head

What is keeping a civil tongue in one's head the present participle and gerund of?
Keeping a civil tongue in one's head is the present participle and gerund of keep a civil tongue in one's head.

Words near keeping a civil tongue in one's head in the dictionary

  1. keepie-uppie
  2. keepie-uppies
  3. keepin'
  4. keepin' on truckin'
  5. keeping
  6. keeping a civil tongue in one's head
  7. keeping a close watch
  8. keeping a cool head
  9. keeping a dog and barking oneself
  10. keeping a lid on
  11. keeping a look-out

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: keeping a civil tongue in one's head (page history and authors); keep a civil tongue in one's head (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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