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Move some material around for better flow, etc. I can't read Campbell's book, but it is clear that *ostensibly* the posters are not about "the ship of our national morale" etc but real actual ships. Whether there was a GENERAL hidden agenda to "to clamp as tight a lid as possible on rumors that might...cut back military production", maybe, but doesn't that belong in American propaganda during World War II? Also Category:Naval warfare etc is a bit of a stretch
RS state the real purpose was to scare or shame people into keeping quiet--do NOT spread rumors.
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'''Loose lips sink ships''' is an [[American English]] [[idiom]] meaning "beware of unguarded talk". The phrase originated on propaganda posters during [[World War II]].<ref name="pp">{{cite web |url=http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/237250.html |title=Loose lips sink ships |author= |date= |work=The Phrase Finder |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> The phrase was created by the [[War Advertising Council]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=127 |title=Security of War Information - Loose Lips Sink Ships (1942-1945) |author= |date= |work=Ad Council |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> and used on posters by the [[United States Office of War Information]].<ref name="pp"/>
'''Loose lips sink ships''' is an [[American English]] [[idiom]] meaning "beware of unguarded talk". The phrase originated on propaganda posters during [[World War II]].<ref name="pp">{{cite web |url=http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/237250.html |title=Loose lips sink ships |author= |date= |work=The Phrase Finder |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> The phrase was created by the [[War Advertising Council]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=127 |title=Security of War Information - Loose Lips Sink Ships (1942-1945) |author= |date= |work=Ad Council |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> and used on posters by the [[United States Office of War Information]].<ref name="pp"/>


This type of poster was part of a general campaign of [[American propaganda during World War II]] to advise servicemen and other citizens to avoid careless talk concerning secure information that might be of use to the enemy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lslips.htm |title=Loose Lips Sink Ships |author= |year=1997 |work=Eyewitness to History |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> The gist of this particular slogan was that one should avoid speaking of ship movements, as this talk (if directed at or overheard by covert enemy agents) might allow the enemy to intercept and destroy the ships.<ref name= "ue">{{cite web |url=http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/loose+lips+sink+ships.html |title=Idiom: Loose lips sink ships |author= |date= |work=Using English |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> (D'Ann Campbell argues, though, that the actual purpose of the these type of posters generally was not to foil spies but to clamp down on on rumors that might damage morale and hurt war production.)<ref>D'Ann Campbell, Women at War with America: Private Lives in a Patriotic Era (1984) p 71.</ref>
This type of poster was part of a general campaign of [[American propaganda during World War II]] to advise servicemen and other citizens to avoid careless talk concerning secure information that might be of use to the enemy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lslips.htm |title=Loose Lips Sink Ships |author= |year=1997 |work=Eyewitness to History |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> The gist of this particular slogan was that one should avoid speaking of ship movements, as this talk (if directed at or overheard by covert enemy agents) might allow the enemy to intercept and destroy the ships.<ref name= "ue">{{cite web |url=http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/loose+lips+sink+ships.html |title=Idiom: Loose lips sink ships |author= |date= |work=Using English |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> Propaganda experts at the time and historians since have argued the main goal was to frighten people into not spreading rumors --or truths--containing bad news that might hurt morale. Historian D'Ann Campbell argues that the purpose of the wartime posters, propaganda, and censorship of soldiers' letters was not to foil spies but, "to clamp as tight a lid as possible on rumors that might lead to discouragement, frustration, strikes, or anything that would cut back military production."<ref>D'Ann Campbell, Women at War with America: Private Lives in a Patriotic Era (1984) p 71.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lslips.htm |title=Loose Lips Sink Ships |author= |year=1997 |work=Eyewitness to History |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref>


The British equivalent used "[[Careless Talk Costs Lives (propaganda)|Careless Talk Costs Lives]]", and variations on the phrase "Keep [[Mum's the word|mum]]",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/prop/home_front/INF3_0229.htm |title="Keep mum – she's not so dumb" - Charcoal, gouache, ink & pastel on board |author= |date= |work=British National Archives |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> while in neutral Sweden the State Information Board promoted the wordplay "[[en svensk tiger]]" (the Swedish word "tiger" means both "tiger" and "keeping silent"), and Germany used "Schäm Dich, Schwätzer!" ({{lang-en|"Shame on you, blabbermouth!"}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/items/NIOD01xxCOLONxx48666 |title=Schäm Dich, Schwätzer! Feind hört mit-Schweigen ist... |work=The Memory of the Netherlands |publisher=Koninklijke Bibliotheek |accessdate=March 24, 2014}}{{link language|nl}}</ref>
The British equivalent used "[[Careless Talk Costs Lives (propaganda)|Careless Talk Costs Lives]]", and variations on the phrase "Keep [[Mum's the word|mum]]",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/prop/home_front/INF3_0229.htm |title="Keep mum – she's not so dumb" - Charcoal, gouache, ink & pastel on board |author= |date= |work=British National Archives |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> while in neutral Sweden the State Information Board promoted the wordplay "[[en svensk tiger]]" (the Swedish word "tiger" means both "tiger" and "keeping silent"), and Germany used "Schäm Dich, Schwätzer!" ({{lang-en|"Shame on you, blabbermouth!"}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/items/NIOD01xxCOLONxx48666 |title=Schäm Dich, Schwätzer! Feind hört mit-Schweigen ist... |work=The Memory of the Netherlands |publisher=Koninklijke Bibliotheek |accessdate=March 24, 2014}}{{link language|nl}}</ref>

Revision as of 08:47, 23 November 2018

This article is about the English idiom. For other uses, see Loose lips sink ships (disambiguation).
World War II poster by Seymour R. Goff. This was the first poster to use some variation the phrase. It was published by the Seagram Distillers Corporation for posting in bars.[1][2]

Loose lips sink ships is an American English idiom meaning "beware of unguarded talk". The phrase originated on propaganda posters during World War II.[3] The phrase was created by the War Advertising Council[4] and used on posters by the United States Office of War Information.[3]

This type of poster was part of a general campaign of American propaganda during World War II to advise servicemen and other citizens to avoid careless talk concerning secure information that might be of use to the enemy.[5] The gist of this particular slogan was that one should avoid speaking of ship movements, as this talk (if directed at or overheard by covert enemy agents) might allow the enemy to intercept and destroy the ships.[6] Propaganda experts at the time and historians since have argued the main goal was to frighten people into not spreading rumors --or truths--containing bad news that might hurt morale. Historian D'Ann Campbell argues that the purpose of the wartime posters, propaganda, and censorship of soldiers' letters was not to foil spies but, "to clamp as tight a lid as possible on rumors that might lead to discouragement, frustration, strikes, or anything that would cut back military production."[7][8]

The British equivalent used "Careless Talk Costs Lives", and variations on the phrase "Keep mum",[9] while in neutral Sweden the State Information Board promoted the wordplay "en svensk tiger" (the Swedish word "tiger" means both "tiger" and "keeping silent"), and Germany used "Schäm Dich, Schwätzer!" (Template:Lang-en).[10]

There were many similar such slogans, but "Loose lips sink ships" remained in the American idiom for the remainder of the century and into the next, usually as an admonition to avoid careless talk in general.[6][11][12]

References

  1. ^ "World War II 'Loose Lips' Poster (product description)". Olive Drav. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "Hadley Digital Archive "Loose Lips Might Sink Ships"". Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Loose lips sink ships". The Phrase Finder. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "Security of War Information - Loose Lips Sink Ships (1942-1945)". Ad Council. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  5. ^ "Loose Lips Sink Ships". Eyewitness to History. 1997. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Idiom: Loose lips sink ships". Using English. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  7. ^ D'Ann Campbell, Women at War with America: Private Lives in a Patriotic Era (1984) p 71.
  8. ^ "Loose Lips Sink Ships". Eyewitness to History. 1997. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  9. ^ ""Keep mum – she's not so dumb" - Charcoal, gouache, ink & pastel on board". British National Archives. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  10. ^ "Schäm Dich, Schwätzer! Feind hört mit-Schweigen ist..." The Memory of the Netherlands. Koninklijke Bibliotheek. Retrieved March 24, 2014.Template:Link language
  11. ^ "Loose lips sink ships". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  12. ^ "Loose lips sink ships – Anti Espionage Posters from WWII". www.successfullearningcommunities.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015.

See also

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