The tongue's not steel, yet it cuts.
Meaning: Words inflict wounds as deep as any blade, leaving scars that heal far more slowly.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Communication
- The tongue talks at the head's cost. — Reckless speech brings consequences the speaker must bear, not those who merely listen.
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- That is true which all men say. — What everyone believes requires no individual verification; consensus substitutes for per…
- Speak the truth and shame the devil. — Truth-telling defeats deception by exposing falsehood's powerlessness against honest word…
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