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Zip your lip

Zip your lip

Meaning

Say nothing; keep your mouth shut. Often shortened to ‘zip it’.

Examples

I saw Kevin put sneezing powder in the staff room but he told me to zip my lip about it or it would spoil the joke.

Where did it originate?

USA, 1940s. Deriving from the allusion to closing a garment with a zipper.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, but most common in the USA.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Zip your lip

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