English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions 

LIPS - MOUTH

Idioms relating to the lips and the mouth  
from:  'lip service'   to:  'say a mouthful'

• lip service
  • If you pay lip service to an idea or cause, you give verbal support or approval, but fail to actually do anything.
    "In spite of promising equal pay for women, the management is suspected of paying lip service to the promotion of women's rights".
    
    
• give someone some lip
  • To give someone some lip means to speak to somone in an insolent or disrespectful way.
    "I’m warning you! If you continue to give lip like that you’ll be in trouble ! "
    
    
• on everyone's lips
  • Something that is on everyon's lips is currently a popular topic of conversation or gossip.
    "The question on everyone's lips is: Is he going to resign or not after the latest scandal?"
    
    
• read someone's lips
  • If you read someone’s lips, you are able to understand what they are saying by observing the movements of their lips.
    "When he whispered something, he put his hand in front of his mouth so that nobody could read his lips."
    
    
• stiff upper lip
  • If a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings.
    "When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."
    
    
• (my) lips are sealed
  • If you say that your lips are sealed, you promise not to reveal a secret.
    "I promise I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed."
    
    
• smack/lick one's lips
  • To say that a person is smacking or licking their lips means that they are showing that they are excited about something and are eager for it to happen.
    "They were smacking their lips at the idea of the money they were going to make."
    
    
• be tight-lipped
  • Someone who is tight-lipped has their lips pressed firmly together, which usually indicates anger, defiance or unwillingness to speak.
    "The boy sat tight-lipped, determined not to answer the policeman’s questions."
    
    

• all mouth and no trousers
  • This is said of someone who talks a lot about doing something but never actually does it.
    "He keeps saying he's going to resign and travel around the world, but he's all mouth and no trousers."
    
    
• butter wouldn't melt in (someone's) mouth
  • If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth, you mean that they look completely innocent, but that they are capable of doing unacceptable things.
    "The boy who stole the purse looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth."
    
    
• down in the mouth
  • When someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy, discouraged or depressed.
    "You look a bit down in the mouth. What's the matter?"
    
    
• foam at the mouth
  • Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about something.
    "The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of his children in the newspaper."
    
    
• live from hand to mouth
  • If you live from hand to mouth, you don't have any money to save because whatever you earn is spent on food and other essentials.
    "Most families in that area live from hand to mouth."
    
    
• make one's mouth water
  • Food can make your mouth water when it looks and smells extremely good.
    "That delicious smell from the kitchen is making my mouth water."
    
    
• put your money where your mouth is
  • If you put your money where your mouth is, not only do you express your interest, you give financial support to causes that you believe in.
    "If people are really interested in helping the underprivileged, they should put their money where their mouth is."
    
    
• take words out of mouth
  • If you say exactly what someone else was going to say, you take the words out of their mouth.
    "I entirely agree with you. You took the words out of my mouth."
    
    
• say a mouthful
  • If you make an important or lengthy remark, you say a mouthful.
    "The customer said a mouthful when he gave the reason for his dissatisfaction."