My tongue is my enemy: the meaning of the proverb

The proverb "My tongue is my enemy" is known to everyone. Now we will try to understand its meaning and the rules of use. Often, this statement is pronounced with disapproval.

Value

The expression "My tongue is my enemy," as a rule, is used by a person in the event that he, unable to restrain himself on time and without thinking, speaks in the fuse of something that he will later regret. It can be used when someone, and, possibly, the speaker himself very openly, undeservedly offended someone with a word, let slip or promised extra.

Quotes

Now let's see how the expression "Language is my enemy" is used in the literature. Poems with the mention of this saying are very numerous. They belong to both classical and modern authors. For example, you can consider V. Grossman's work "The Cook". In it, the hero, Andrei Veniaminovich, pronounces "My tongue is my enemy" after the departure of the guest, complaining that he spoke too much in front of him, and regretting that he was not stopped on time. He is irritated, as well as a desire to teach and blame. The same proverb is found in Ostrovsky's play "The Old Friend" during the description of a quarrel that happened by chance.

The expression "My tongue is my enemy" is also found in Leskov's work "Laughter and sorrow" and refers to reprimand for the stupidity of the words spoken. Mamin-Sibiryak also used this proverb in his works.

Origins

Now let's talk about the origin of the proverb. In the past, the full version of the proverb was actively used. It looks like this: "My tongue is my enemy: before the mind speaks." The second part of the expression also refers to incontinence in expressions and utterances. In addition, she describes the habit of talking superfluous, thus causing harm to herself.

This expression is known to man since ancient times. It occurs in Juvenal, a Roman satirist. He claims that the language of a fool is a death for him. The idea expressed in the proverb also echoes many of the sayings of great people. Plutarch, for example, argued that the conversation a person learns from mere mortals, and silence - from the gods.

Publius Cyr argued that the inability to remain silent is directly related to the inability to speak. Language is often the enemy of the fair sex. Sophocles on this occasion said that the beautification of women is silence. Complemented by Thomas Fuller. He argued that, although silence and the best decoration of a woman, it, unfortunately, is almost not used.

F. Bacon, in turn, argued that silence is an indicator of wisdom. According to Sidney Smith, it is the absence of words that makes the conversation interesting. Publius Cyr argued that intelligent silence is better than silly conversations.

In ancient times, the language was called the first adversary. In Russia, there was another similar statement. They said that the language of trouble is looking for, and picks before the mind. Elena Arkhipova in her work "I and the language. Who is whom? "Claims that he often refers to this saying and conducts an unequal battle with what has been said. W. Gaslitt called silence one of the greatest arts of conversation. This saying also echoes the proverb "My tongue is my enemy".