tongue-in-cheek
With ironyWith irony.
Meaning
2 senses(not comparable)With irony.
He portrayed them tongue-in-cheek as great lawgivers, as Solons.
(not comparable, obsolete)With contempt.
More definitions
- in a bantering fashion
- not seriously
Origin
This phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheeThis phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheek. The term first appeared in print in 1828, but it isn't entirely clear that it was used with the modern, rather than a literal, sense. A later citation from Richard Barham is unambiguous.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Synonyms
3 synonymsClose in meaning
- in a bantering fashion:banteringly
- not seriously:facetiouslyjokingly
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.