🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier — native speaker & pro voice artist from France
The expression avoir la langue bien pendue literally means “to have a well-hanging tongue” and is used to describe someone who’s a gossip, very chatty, or has a sharp tongue.
avoir la langue bien pendue
🎧 Example sentences
Patty a la langue bien pendue : elle parle dans le dos de tout le monde.
Patty is a gossip. She talks behind everybody’s back.
L’élève a la langue bien pendue et est toujours en train de déconner en cours.
The student has a sharp tongue and is always acting out in class.
💡 Expression origin
This expression is thought to date back to the Middle Ages, when people could be hanged for making inappropriate or insulting remarks toward the authorities.
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