îi merge gura

Romanian

Etymology

Literally, “for one’s mouth to go”.

Verb

a îi merge gura (third-person singular present îi merge gura, past participle i-a mers gura) 3rd conj.

1. (informal) to run one's mouth (talk a lot) [with dative possessive]
   • 1972, Marin Preda, chapter 12, in Marele singuratic [The great loner], Bucharest: Cartea Românească:

     Mi-aduc aminte că nea Matei, un prieten al lui tata, avea o muiere... Uite-așa îi mergea gura când veneau și pe la bărbatul ei în casă oameni.

     I recall old man Matei, a friend of dad’s, had a woman… She would run her mouth just like that when people would come over to her husband’s house.

Usage notes

Often paired with suggestive similes:

• a îi merge gura ca o moară stricată (literally “for one’s mouth to go like a broken mill”)
• a îi merge gura ca melița (literally “for one’s mouth to go like a grinder”)
• a îi merge gura ca pupăza (literally “for one’s mouth to go like a hoopoe”)

Synonyms

• da din gură

Further reading

• gură in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)