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Meaning & use

lips zipped

phrase·Everydayinformalhumorous

Last updated

UK/ˌlɪps ˈzɪpt/
US/ˌlɪps ˈzɪpt/

Meaning

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous

    A playful way of promising to keep a secret or say nothing about something.

    Grammar: Often said as a full sentence: my lips are zipped; or abbreviated to 'lips zipped'.

    Patterns

    • my lips are zipped
    • lips zipped about something

    Don't worry about the surprise party; my lips are zipped.

    Lips zipped, I won't mention the news to anyone.

    She mimed zipping her lips shut when I asked about the secret.

Common combinations

my lips are zipped
Your secret is safe, my lips are zipped.
keep your lips zipped
Keep your lips zipped until Friday, please.
lips zipped about the plan
Everyone had to stay lips zipped about the plan.
zip your lips
He told the kids to zip their lips during the movie.

Synonyms and how they differ

mum's the word
Mum's the word is an older, more British phrase with the same promise, but sounds less playful than lips zipped.
my lips are sealed
This is a very close idiom with slightly more serious tone.
I won't say a word
This is plain speech, with none of the miming humor.

Opposites

spill the beansblab

Word family

zip verb
to close with a zipper
zip it phrase
a rude order to stop talking
lip noun
either edge of the mouth

Commonly confused: lips zipped or zip it?

lips zipped vs zip it

'Zip it' is an impolite command to someone else to be quiet, whereas 'lips zipped' is a friendly promise about yourself.

Practice

Your friend tells you a secret, and you reply, 'My lips are zipped.' What do you mean?

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