tongue-in-cheek

Definition

Not intended seriously; jocular or humorous.

Etymology

This 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.

Example Sentences

• "He gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation of why the sky was blue, offering a theory about some primordial discount on light blue paint."
• "It was in this era, too, that author and Scotland the Brave songwriter Cliff Hanley penned The Glasgow Underground, a tongue-in-cheek love letter to the Subway in song."
• "The tongue-in-cheek sendup wasn’t far from Silicon Valley’s reality."