What does this mean? My old social studies teacher told me it had to do with the war?
2007-08-03 12:20:07 · 8 answers · asked by Khristinna I 1 in Beauty & Style ➔ Fashion & Accessories
It has nothing to do with war. A ship is a metaphor for a confined group of people, or some community (like the people in an office or class room). Loose lips is gossip. The lesson is that one person's attitude and words can cause a major disruption within a group of people.
2007-08-03 12:27:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This phrase was coined as a slogan during WWII as part of the US Office of War Information's attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. The slogan was actually 'Loose Lips Might Sink Ships. This was one of several similar slogans which all came under the campaigns basic message - 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.
2016-05-17 11:08:07 · answer #2 · answered by alba 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Loose lips sink ships" was part of the internal warfare during WWII, where there was a lot of paranoia that enemy spies could learn from citizens, who work in sensitive areas about war related matters and use them against the country. Similar propaganda was used in other countries, like in Germany: Feind hoert mit (the enemy is listening in).
2007-08-04 01:44:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was a saying from WW2. Soldiers used to talk about what their country was planning to do, where their ships were going to be, ect. And spies from the opposing countries heard this and knew where the enemy ships were going to be and could easily attack and sink them.
Loose lips sink ships means that if you had "loose lips" and talked about war plans, the enemy could "sink ships" because they'd heard you adn knew where to attack
2007-08-03 12:24:21 · answer #4 · answered by Fahey 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
During WW2, the government warned the civilian population to keep their mouths shut if they had any information about a ships movement, such as, departure time, route and destination. It could be very useful to the enemy; they could preset their subs or place their warships to intercept the ship and sink it.
2007-08-03 12:36:38 · answer #5 · answered by tinker46139 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
tinker 461... gets it....it was a slogan specifically aimed at civilians not to blab about ship movements......" yeah, we got to work late because the SS Seasick is sailing on Saturday".........because that information could be overheard by German agents, passed on, and subs or surface raiders homed in on the ship.......
it has since become more general, in that if you talk, especially about secrets, someone is going to get hurt...
2007-08-06 03:49:38 · answer #6 · answered by yankee_sailor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means that if someone tells you to keep a secret, don't tell anyone about it. "Loose lips" refers to a person who blabs secrets. "Sink ships" can mean friendships collapse because someone they trusted with their secret let it out.
2007-08-03 12:24:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It means that careless acts from either side of the war can cause a lot of damage.
Good Luck!
2007-08-03 12:24:33 · answer #8 · answered by -:-vInTaGe PaSsIon-:- 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋