Bite your tongue

    保持缄默

    这个短语的字面解释是“咬舌头”，这是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: I thought the company would give me a pay rise, but I was wrong.

    B: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

    A: What does that mean?

    B: Here is the thing. When the boss says something that is less than brilliant, sometimes you need to bite your tongue.

    Note: When you use this phrase, you mean to keep quiet, particularly in the event someone is saying something rude or unpleasant. If you bite your tongue, you cannot speak. Biting one's tongue would definitely prevent saying something that would later be regretted. We also say "hold your tongue." A phrase similar to "bite your tongue" is first seen in Shakespeare's 1593 "Henry VI," "So Orke must sit, and fret, and bit his tongue.”