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slip of the tongue

[/slɪp əv ðə ˈtʌŋ/]
nounpl: slips of the tongue
lapso da língua
1. An unintentional mistake in speaking; words said by accident that were not meant to be said
I didn't mean to reveal the surprise party—it was just a slip of the tongue.
Não pretendia revelar a festa surpresa—foi apenas um lapso da língua.
2. An accidental utterance that reveals something the speaker wanted to keep secret
His slip of the tongue revealed that he knew about the project all along.
Seu lapso da língua revelou que ele sabia sobre o projeto o tempo todo.
NYC Slang
accidental word vomit
Synonyms
gaffemisspeakverbal mistakelapsus linguaeunguarded remark
Antonyms
deliberate statementintentional remarkcalculated words

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
lapso da língua
Most common term used across Brazil
General Brazilian
escapa da boca
More colloquial alternative meaning 'escapes from mouth'
Portugal
lapso linguístico
More formal variant used in Portugal
Portugal
gafe
Common colloquial alternative

Related Idioms & Phrases

to let something slip
to speak without thinking
foot in mouth
to talk out of turn
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