Tongue-in-cheek phrase appears in 1828 in "The Fair Maid of Perth" by Sir Walter Scott: It's not clear how Scott intended readers to understand the phrase. The more modern ironic sense appears in the 1842 poem "The Ingoldsby Legends" by the English clergyman Richard Barham, in which a Frenchman inspects a watch and cries: The ironic usage originates with the idea of suppressed mirth—biting one's tongue to prevent an outburst of laughter. Tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a mock serious manner. The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern
Handcuffs or Kisses testify against the matron. Doris is sent to the home of a physician as a domestic worker, but she leaves after the doctor attempts to embrace her. She is befriended by a lawyer on the investigating committee, but, fearing to compromise him, she again escapes and is given a home by a woman that runs a gambling den. The young lawyer runs into her again and offers her marriage and a home, which she accepts. Handcuffs or Kisses Handcuffs or Kisses is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Elaine Hammerstein, Julia Swayne Gordon, and