cucirsi la bocca

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to sew one's mouth”.

Verb

cucìrsi la bocca (first-person singular present mi cùcio la bocca, first-person singular past historic mi cucìi la bocca, past participle cucìto la bocca)

1. to shut up; to seal one's lips

   Synonym: tacere

   • 2013, John Steinbeck, translated by Sergio Claudio Perroni, Furore [The Grapes of Wrath], Bompiani, page 367:

     Se lo facevi, be', allora il bastone lo potevi usare, e le donne calavano la testa e si cucivano la bocca.

     If you was, why, you could use your stick, an' women folks'd sniffle their nose an' creep-mouse aroun'.

     (literally, “If you were doing it, well, then the stick - you could use it, and women would lower their heads and shut up.”)