western australia

Hot tongue and cold shoulder

@JudyEv (341692)

Rockingham, Australia

May 22, 2024 9:25am CST

I don’t want to sound condescending, but I’ve been caught a few times assuming people in other countries know a phrase or saying that is familiar to me, only to find out it’s not known in their country. So how about going home to ‘hot tongue and cold shoulder’. Do you know this one? This was often said here by men who had stayed too long in the hotel perhaps and were going home to an irate wife. They would be expecting a tongue lashing (hot tongue) and/or the silent treatment (cold shoulder), being ignored for a period of time. I haven’t heard this for a very long time but it was quite a common expression. Photo courtesy of Christine, Wikimedia Commons.

20 people like this

20 responses

@LadyDuck (471968)

• Switzerland

22 May

I have read here in myLot "cold shoulder" when those t-shirt that let the shoulders uncovered were in fashion, but I still do not know what this does mean. Now I know.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

My old school-friend travels all the time and posts photos on FB. In almost all of them she is wearing a black T-shirt with the shoulders cut out. I think it must be her favourite shirt.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471968)

• Switzerland

23 May

@JudyEv I never liked that kind of t-shirt, not to mention that if you walk under the sun the most exposed are the shoulders and the skin there is more fragile than the arms.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

@LadyDuck You would end up with a very odd-looking suntan too.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@snowy22315 (181948)

• United States

23 May

Nope, don't think that one ever made it across the pond! Some expressions though are not enough known in different parts of the country here. For instance, here the term bush hogging is used which is clearing an area of brush. Most in the US other than those in the rural South would not know that term.

1 person likes this

show previous comments

@snowy22315 (181948)

• United States

23 May

@JudyEv The majority of your expressions are used here. The exceptions would be stuff like fair dinkum or dinkum. I think maybe the closest Americanism to that would be like Okey Doke. or.Okey Dokey, one you probably don't use there. Means like is OK, fine..Don't forget we have common language ancestors. They use alot of slang terms in the UK though, that I don't know what they mean.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

@snowy22315 we use those Okey Doke sometimes. Our German backpacker friend who has been out here for years and is now an Australian citizen uses it often. I don't hear it much otherwise.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

It's surprising sometimes what does make it across the pond. I guess it only takes a few to think an expression is cool and eventually it spreads.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@thelme55 (77168)

• Germany

23 May

This is the first time I have heard of this. Thanks for the heads up.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

So far no-one has heard of it. That's a bit unusual. Usually there is at least one person who has heard of it.

1 person likes this

@thelme55 (77168)

• Germany

28 May

@JudyEv You are right. At least we know it now.

1 person likes this

@Hannihar (130213)

• Israel

23 May

@JudyEv I have never heard the phrase hot tongue and cold shoulder. Maybe I have heard something different that means that. That is ok that you think others have heard your phrases you say here.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

No doubt each language has its own sayings.

1 person likes this

@Hannihar (130213)

• Israel

23 May

@JudyEv You probably are right on that.

1 person likes this

@arunima25 (87855)

• Bangalore, India

23 May

I have heard of "cold shoulder", but not of "hot tongue". Yes, I have heard of "sharp tongue" that is all words that can hurt you. I am not sure if it's actually a phrase in English. It just sounds like a translation from Hindi for " tikhi zubaan".( Sharp tongue).

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

We sometimes say someone has a sharp tongue but it isn't used often.

1 person likes this

@arunima25 (87855)

• Bangalore, India

23 May

@JudyEv Here too, not many people use it.

1 person likes this

@HaruLoid (1588)

• Philippines

23 May

I never heard of that, and I don't think there is a similar phrase to that in the Philippines.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I'm sure your country has its own sayings too just as we have. People come up with new ones from time to time too.

1 person likes this

@HaruLoid (1588)

• Philippines

23 May

@JudyEv That's true.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160879)

• United States

23 May

I knew the "cold shoulder" part, but not "hot tongue". Learn something new every day.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I was surprised that nobody seems to know it.

@moirai (2853)

• Philippines

23 May

I'm familiar with cold shoulder, but I think this is the first time I'm hearing of hot tongue. And it follows that I've never heard of the combined phrase. You learn something new everyday! Thanks.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I'm sure every country has its own sayings. People come up with some clever ones at times.

1 person likes this

@rebelann (112959)

• El Paso, Texas

22 May

Thanks for the explanation, I might have heard it on a TV show on BBC but I'm not sure if I did.

1 person likes this

show previous comments

@rebelann (112959)

• El Paso, Texas

23 May

I don't get BBC often and most of the shows I've watched when I did were older comedy shows

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I haven't heard it for a very long time.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@Juliaacv (51452)

• Canada

22 May

I have not heard of that one, but it makes good sense. I am glad that I have never had to give the hot tongue and cold shoulder-he's a good guy.

1 person likes this

show previous comments

@Juliaacv (51452)

• Canada

23 May

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

It's quite a clever saying really, isn't it?

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@wolfgirl569 (107859)

• Marion, Ohio

22 May

Knew the cold shoulder part. But never heard the hot tongue

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

It's would be quite appropriate at times, I'm sure.

1 person likes this

@RasmaSandra (80635)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

22 May

Interesting and the first time I hear it,

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

Just glancing through the responses, it seems it's new to most.

1 person likes this

@TheHorse (220068)

• Walnut Creek, California

23 May

Never heard this one. Is that a cow picking its nose? I will read on. And remember: I spend a lot of time "sowing pearls before swine."

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

24 May

It's a pretty gross photo, isn't it?

@LindaOHio (181177)

• United States

23 May

Nope. I've never heard that one. Have a good day.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

So far no-one has heard of it. Maybe it's a unique Australian saying.

1 person likes this

@AmbiePam (93739)

• United States

22 May

No, I have never heard that one. It’s a good one though!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I'm sure that sometimes it's very appropriate.

1 person likes this

@xFiacre (13120)

• Ireland

22 May

@judyev How picturesque!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

It seems it might be an Australian phrase. No-one seems to know it.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (83064)

• United States

22 May

Not a saying I ever heard before but once you explained it, it makes perfect sense. It's funny how I also assume that everyone is familiar with a particular phrase or saying when I use it.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

I've been caught so often that now I question just about everything. Fossick (search) was another word that no-one seemed to know.

@BearArtistLady (6036)

• United States

22 May

I have to say that I absolutely LOVE your selection of the photo!!! I'm going to try to copy it and have it to gross some of my queasy Americans out. I didn't know the 'hot tongue' part of the saying. I fully understand the 'cold shoulder' My favorite sayings have been "Sure and I'm a blue baboon", and just recently I used "yeah, and pigs fly" (that was when I was told the third time that my phone appointment wasn't going to be changed to a different doctor. Another one that my family used was "The sh*t is going to hit the fan", which I haven't heard in many many years. Thank you again for the wonderful photo!!! It's a great selection!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

Cows have such a long tongue, ideal for cleaning out nostrils.

We know the sh*t hits the fan but sometimes sanitise it to 'when the proverbial hits the fan'. References to pigs flying are common here too but I hadn't heard the blue baboon one.

@dya80dya (36773)

•

22 May

I haven't heard of this. This is interesting.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

People come up with clever quips, don't they?

@Beestring (14671)

• Hong Kong

22 May

Never heard of this phase. I learned something new. Thanks.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (341692)

• Rockingham, Australia

23 May

You're welcome. I'm always learning something new here too.

1 person likes this