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Reference : Idioms : Body : a slip of the tongue

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a slip of the tongue

Meaning: If you make a slip of the tongue, you make a small mistake when speaking.

For example:

  • I really meant to say Miss Davis, not Mrs Davis, so it was just a slip of the tongue, but Judy thought I was teasing her.

  • A newsreader made a slip of the tongue when reading out the scores. He said Chelsea had lost by a goal, instead of saying they'd won by a goal.

Quick Quiz:

Debbie made a slip of the tongue when she said that
  1. London is in England
  2. Paris is in Spain
  3. Moscow is in Russia

Discuss: a slip of the tongue

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