Rex Trulove
Although ‘bite your tongue’ and ‘bite me’ sound similar, they have different meanings and very different origins. In fact, the former has a clean meaning, while the latter is definitely not clean.
When someone tells someone else to ‘bite your tongue’, they are telling them to shut their mouth and to say nothing. A person can use a variation to apply to themselves, too. They could say something like, “I had to bite my tongue’. This would imply that they wanted to say something they knew would cause problems, so they prudently kept quiet instead.
The phrase, ‘bite your tongue’ has been around since at least the 1590s and Shakespeare even referred to a person who bit his tongue in one of his plays.
“Bite me” has a totally different meaning and origin and the meaning is highly offensive, though many people who use the term now have no idea of its original meaning or where it came from. The phrase came from the late 1940s or early 1950s. It was originally used by teenaged boys who strongly disagreed with other teenaged boys and the phrase had the same meaning as…putting it as cleanly as possible…”perform fellatio on me” or “blow me”.
The two phrases might sound similar, but they definitely have different meanings and origins. “Bite your tongue” has a clean and actually a wise meaning. “Bite me” definitely does not.
Have you used either of these phrases?
Depend on the situation
I think it depend on the language of origin.
Both originated and were first used in the English language. ‘Bite your tongue’ came from the UK originally, probably Wales. “Bite me” came from the US.
I’ve heard both of these phrases in the past. A lot for one.
I did know the origin of bite your tongue. I did not for the other, learned something today!
It is amazing, the impact that teenagers have made.
It is always interesting when you consider the changes our language makes, almost daily.
I like to use the phrase “Bite your tongue” to avoid making comments to others that are considered offensive. I remember the term “Bite me” used by the heel wrestlers who were on World Championship Wrestling television shows.
It is common for me to bite my tongue, too. The idea is actually a biblical principle.
That is great advice from God’s Word to bite the tongue when words can be offensive to other people who will think that my evil words are who I really am.
I thought that, “bite me” meant that, but I wasn’t sure. One of my cousins did bite a classmate in kindergarten. Ever since then, I always thought of biting as aggressive.
I’ve known several people who were actually biters. In fact, in New York City, there are about 12 rats for every person, yet far more people there are bitten by other people than they are by rats.
Yes I have heard both of these phrases ll of my life but never knew the origin. Thanks for the knowledge!
That’s one of the things that makes English so interesting. A lot of people use words without ever knowing where the words came from, so often times what they think they are saying isn’t at all what they are saying.