one's heart in one's mouth

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

one's heart in one's mouth

1. (idiomatic) A state of dread.

   I rang the doorbell and waited with my heart in my mouth.

   I had my heart in my mouth while I waited for news of my son.

   • 2023 October 28, Leighton Koopman, “YES!!! The Springboks beat the All Blacks to win another Rugby World Cup title”, in Independent Online‎^[1]:

     Winger Cheslin Kolbe, sitting with his jersey over his head in the sin after a yellow card at the death, was probably the sight of millions of South Africans around the country who had their hearts in their mouth as they sat through another nail-biting match.

   • 2024 June 20, David Hytner, “Hjulmand rocket earns Denmark draw as England struggle after Kane opener”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     There was a last-ditch quality to England’s defending and when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg shaped a curler for the far corner in the 85th minute, England’s hearts were in their mouths. The shot was off target.

Alternative forms

• one's heart in one's throat

Related terms

• have one's heart in one's boots
• heart-in-mouth (adjective)

Translations

• Note: Some of these translations may be verb forms.

to be very scared (idiom)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 提心吊膽／提心吊胆 (zh) (tíxīndiàodǎn)

• Finnish: sydän kurkussa
• Russian: душа́ в пя́тки ушла́ (ru) (dušá v pjátki ušlá) (the soul is gone to the heels)
• Spanish: tener el corazón en un puño (to have the heart in a fist), tener el corazón en la boca (to have the heart in the mouth)