Your heart is in your mouth means you're frozen with fear or waiting very nervously for what happens next: My heart was in my mouth as the judge opened the envelope. In English the heart doesn't sink; it jumps up to your mouth. People often say with my heart in my mouth, and Americans also say heart in your throat.
When would you say your heart is in your mouth?
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possessive + heart + is or was + in + possessive + mouth
- My heart was in my mouth as the judge reached for the results envelope.
- Her heart was in her mouth when the child stepped towards the edge of the platform.
- He crossed the narrow footbridge with his heart in his mouth.
What changed
First versionMy heart was in the mouth while they tested the final connection.
RevisionMy heart was in my mouth while they tested the final connection.
Saying my twice in one short sentence can feel repetitive, and whose mouth it is seems obvious, so the looks like enough. But English uses possessives with body parts, matching the owner: my heart was in my mouth. Replace the with my, and the idiom sounds natural.
Butterflies in your stomach is pleasant nervous excitement before a show or a date. Heart in your mouth is sharp fear or tension in a specific moment: He crossed the footbridge with his heart in his mouth. Wear your heart on your sleeve is something else: openly showing your feelings.
Your turn
Complete the idiom about sudden fear: Her heart was in ___ mouth during the final jump.
Show the answer
her — Body parts take a possessive in English, and it matches the heart's owner: her heart, her mouth. With the, the idiom doesn't work.
Describe a moment you froze with fear or suspense: contest results, a risky step, an important call. Use my heart was in my mouth.
My heart was in my mouth as the announcer read out the number of the winning ticket.
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