foot-in-mouth disease: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-medium (common in informal/slang use)Informal, humorous, slang
Quick answer
What does “foot-in-mouth disease” mean?
A humorous or figurative term describing a tendency to make embarrassing, insensitive, or inappropriate remarks.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A humorous or figurative term describing a tendency to make embarrassing, insensitive, or inappropriate remarks.
A chronic or recurring pattern of social gaffes or verbal blunders, often characterized by speaking without thinking first. Can imply a social ineptness, lack of tact, or poor timing in communication.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The phrase is understood and used similarly in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally humorous and informal in both dialects. Slightly more likely to be used in British English due to the historical prominence of actual foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in UK agriculture.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but marginally more recognised in the UK due to media coverage of the agricultural disease.
Grammar
How to Use “foot-in-mouth disease” in a Sentence
[Person] has foot-in-mouth disease.[Person] is suffering from (a bad case of) foot-in-mouth disease.It was a classic case of foot-in-mouth disease.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “foot-in-mouth disease” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He's been foot-in-mouthing his way through the entire press tour.
- I wish he'd stop foot-in-mouthing at every family gathering.
American English
- The senator foot-in-mouthed himself again during the interview.
- She has a talent for foot-in-mouthing at the worst possible moment.
adverb
British English
- He replied, rather foot-in-mouthly, that the cake tasted store-bought.
- She stumbled foot-in-mouthly through the apology.
American English
- He foot-in-mouthly asked if she was expecting a baby.
- The statement was foot-in-mouthly released before the facts were checked.
adjective
British English
- It was a real foot-in-mouth moment for the presenter.
- He's known for his foot-in-mouth comments.
American English
- She made a classic foot-in-mouth remark about her boss's divorce.
- We're trying to avoid another foot-in-mouth situation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used humorously to critique a colleague or executive who made an inappropriate comment in a meeting or public statement, potentially damaging relations.
Academic
Rare. Might appear in informal discussions about communication studies or sociolinguistics as a colloquial example.
Everyday
The primary context. Used among friends, family, or in media commentary to describe someone's embarrassing verbal slip.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts except as a metaphorical contrast to the veterinary disease.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “foot-in-mouth disease”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “foot-in-mouth disease”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “foot-in-mouth disease”
- Confusing it with 'foot-and-mouth disease' (the real animal illness).
- Using it in formal writing.
- Using it to describe a single, minor mistake rather than a pattern of behavior.
- Incorrect hyphenation: 'foot in mouth disease' (less standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is purely a humorous, figurative idiom. The real disease is 'foot-and-mouth disease,' which affects cloven-hoofed animals.
'Putting your foot in your mouth' refers to a single instance of a verbal blunder. 'Foot-in-mouth disease' humorously suggests a chronic, recurring condition where someone does this repeatedly.
It is strongly discouraged in formal contexts (academic, official reports, legal documents). It belongs to informal, conversational, or journalistic (often humorous) registers.
It is generally not offensive but is mildly critical and teasing. It should be used with caution about someone who may be genuinely socially anxious, as it could be perceived as mocking.
A humorous or figurative term describing a tendency to make embarrassing, insensitive, or inappropriate remarks.
Foot-in-mouth disease: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfʊt ɪn ˈmaʊθ dɪˌziːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfʊt ɪn ˈmaʊθ dɪˌziz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Put one's foot in one's mouth”
- “Open mouth, insert foot”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a politician on TV literally trying to put their foot in their mouth after saying something foolish. The absurd image links the action to the 'disease' of doing it repeatedly.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL BLUNDERS ARE A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE / INAPPROPRIATE SPEECH IS A PHYSICAL MALFUNCTION (putting a foot in the mouth).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the phrase 'foot-in-mouth disease' be LEAST appropriate?