long-tongued adj.
of a chatterer, a gossip, one who is unable to keep a secret; thus as long-tongued as Granny [‘Granny was an (actual) ideot (sic) who could lick her own eye’ (Grose)]; have a long tongue, to be a chatterer or gossip.
Titus Andronicus IV ii: ’Tis a deed of policy: Shall she live to betray this guilt of ours, A long-tongu’d babbling gossip? | ||
How A Man May Choose A Good Wife From A Bad Act III: She blusht & said that long tong’d men would tell. | ||
, | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Long Tongued. Loquacious, not able to keep a secret. He is as long-tongued as Granny: Granny was an idiot who could lick her own eye. | |
Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1788]. | ||
Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1788]. | ||
Ingoldsby Legends I (1866) 31: Mrs. Pryce was not over young, Had very short legs and a very long tongue. | ‘Look at the Clock’||
Ye Comedie of Errors I i: She’s got a long tongue, as you’ll find out when she’ll scold. | ||
Royal Cornwall Gaz. 20 Sept. 6/4: The regulations are intended to prevent [...] the betrayal of trust, if [...] a longue-tongued clerk tittle-tattles. | ||
Dundee Courier 27 Jan. 2/3: Long-tonuged orators who are bent on getting Home Rule by obstructing ordinary business. | ||
Shields Dly Gaz. 6 Aug. 3/2: This, however, will be disputed by men who have long-tongued wives. | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Jun. 31/2: ‘You never told him, I’ll go bail. But it would hardly do.’ / She winced. The door was open, and Smith had such a long tongue. | ||
Rice Belt Jrnl (Calcasieu Parish, LA) 4 July 1/4: These [...] long-tongued, back-biting Christians. | ||
Day Book (Chicago) 20 Mar. 9/2: There are a few old long-tongued tattling women. | ||
Hayti Herald (MO) 30 Dec. 2/1: These derogatory statements are originated by the malicious, who intend that they shall be circulated by [...] the common long-tongued variety of gossips. | ||
Cornishmen 23 May n.p.: Mrs Longuetongue, whose business is everybody’s business [and] the gossip’s male counterpart, Mr Gasbag. | ||
Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 52: A smart alec, long-tongued, sashay-dude like you. | ||
Gold in the Streets (1966) 121: There’s another dame I could murder: long-tongued lizard. |