Definition
To cause one to speak more freely; to cause one to discuss a subject that would not usually be discussed.
In Context
- "He made a long stay in the dining-room after dinner, and, I fear, took an unusual quantity of wine, but not enough to loosen his tongue: for when he came in and found me quietly occupied with my book, too busy to lift my head on his entrance, he merely murmured an expression of suppressed disapprobation […]"
- "We relapsed into silence. Presently he laughed. “There’s something in this starlight that loosens one’s tongue. I’m an ass, and yet somehow I would like to tell you.”"
- "He admired the dexterity with which their host directed the conversation. The five young men had various tastes and their tongues had been loosened."
- "Tommy had apparently been plied with ice cream and soda pop at the police station, to loosen his tongue."
See Also
- in vino veritas
- in wine, there is truth
- loose lips sink ships