Modern Meaning
What Does “Put words in one's mouth” Mean?
To attribute statements to someone that they did not say.
Biblical Origin
Where Does This Phrase Come From?
Joab coached the wise woman of Tekoa, literally putting words in her mouth to tell David a story that would persuade him to bring Absalom home. The phrase later came to mean falsely attributing statements to someone.
The phrase appears in 2 Samuel 14:3 in the King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.
Usage Today
How Is It Used Today?
Used when someone misrepresents what you said. "Don't put words in my mouth — I never said I agreed with that."
The KJV Verse
2 Samuel 14:3
“So Joab put the words in her mouth.”
Related Phrases