The tongue is the enemy of the neck

Meaning: Careless speech can bring serious consequences upon the speaker.

Origin: Turkish proverb (Dil boğazın belasıdır), widely used across Ottoman and Middle Eastern cultures.

Translations

• French: La langue est l'ennemie du cou (literally: The tongue is the enemy of the neck)
• Spanish: La lengua es la enemiga del cuello (literally: The tongue is the enemy of the neck)
• Japanese: 口は禍の元 (Kuchi wa wazawai no moto) (literally: The mouth is the origin of disaster)

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