Meaning
To say something foolish, embarrassing, or tactless, often without realizing it until after the words are already out.
It usually describes an unintentional social blunder rather than a deliberately rude remark, and is often followed by regret or awkward backpedaling.
Origin
The phrase developed from the older British expression “put one’s foot in it,” documented in English from the late eighteenth century, meaning to make a clumsy blunder or get oneself into an awkward mess. Over time, English speakers extended and literalized the image specifically for verbal blunders, replacing the vague “it” with the more vivid and anatomically absurd “your mouth” — the impossible, faintly comic image of physically inserting one’s own foot into one’s mouth serves as a fitting exaggeration for having said something one immediately wishes could be taken back. The specific “foot in mouth” wording became especially well established in twentieth-century American English.
Examples
I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her ex at the party.
He put his foot in his mouth by joking about the layoffs in front of the boss.
She’s always putting her foot in her mouth at family dinners.
A: I asked him when the baby was due, and he said his wife wasn’t pregnant. B: Oof, you really put your foot in your mouth.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Put your foot in your mouth' mean?
To say something foolish, embarrassing, or tactless, often without realizing it until after the words are already out.
It usually describes an unintentional social blunder rather than a deliberately rude remark, and is often followed by regret or awkward backpedaling.