There are three ways of saying this Idiom in English.
- Zip your mouth!
- Zip your lip!
- Zip it!
The meaning is the same no matter which you use.
The meaning of Zip your Lip / Zip your Mouth
This idiomatic expression can mean any of the following:
- Keep your mouth shut.
- Don’t say anything (usually because it is a secret).
- Keep quiet about … (something. Again, often a secret).
- Close your mouth and be quiet!
Expressing the same without speaking
Sometimes no words are needed and a specific gesture can be made to mean the same thing.
This involves the action of putting your thumb and forefinger together (like you are pinching something or picking up something small) and moving them across your lips from one side of your closed mouth to the other.
Meaning of Zip
Zip can be a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action).
Zip / Zipper (noun)
A zip, sometimes called a zipper, is a device consisting of two flexible strips of metal (or plastic) with interlocking projections closed or opened by pulling a slide along them. A zip is used to fasten some clothes, the openings in bags, and other items. You can often find a zip at the front of a jacket or a pair of jeans.
If you look at the cartoon you will see that the man’s mouth has been replaced with a closed zip.
Zip is also an informal (slang) way of saying zero, none, nothing.
- I was expecting to get paid but I got zip.
To Zip (verb)
To Zip is the action of opening or closing (unfasten and fasten) a zip.
