From the very lips
/frʌm ðə ˈvɛri lɪps/
B2
Definition
This phrase means that you receive information or a message directly from the person who originally spoke it. It highlights that the words come straight from the speaker’s mouth, not through someone else or by hearsay (hearing from others). It is often used to show that the information is reliable or very personal.
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See It in Action
Receiving information directly from the original speaker
- •I heard the news from the very lips of the president.
- •She told me the secret from the very lips of the teacher.
- •The story came from the very lips of the hero himself.
Emphasizing truth or trust in the information
- •When he said it from the very lips, I knew it was true.
- •The promise was made from the very lips of the king.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "from the very lips" like "directly said," but with a stronger feeling that it’s exactly the original speaker’s words
- ✓Picture someone speaking face-to-face, and you hear the words right as they come out of their mouth
- ✓It feels like trust and closeness, because you get the message without anyone changing it
- ✓Sounds like "from the very lips" → imagine the lips moving and words flying straight to your ears without stopping
- ✓In stories or movies, when a character says "I heard it from the very lips," it means they know it’s true because the person told them personally
- ✓NOT like "heard from a friend" (which is secondhand), this phrase means first-hand information
- ✓NOT like "read in a book" or "heard on the news" — this is a personal, direct communication
Try Other Words
- •Straight from: meaning directly from someone (Use when you want a simple phrase for direct source)
- •Word of mouth: meaning information passed by people talking (Use when emphasizing spoken communication but not necessarily from the original person)
- •Firsthand: meaning experienced or heard directly (Use when focusing on personal experience or direct knowledge)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "from" (preposition) + "the" (article) + "very" (emphasizer meaning exact) + "lips" (plural noun, mouth parts)
- •Etymology: "lips" come from Old English "lippa," meaning the soft part around the mouth; "very" used here to stress exactness
- •Historical development: Phrase developed to stress hearing or receiving words exactly as spoken by the original person
- •Modern usage: Used in writing and speech to emphasize directness and truth of spoken information
Reflect & Connect
•Why do you think people trust information "from the very lips" more than from other sources?
•Can you think of a time when hearing something "from the very lips" changed your opinion or feelings about it?
Fill in the blanks
1.She heard the news from the very lips of the ___ who experienced it herself.
2.When you get information from the very lips, it means no ___ person changed the message.
3.The promise was made ___ the very lips of the leader, so everyone believed it.
4.Unlike rumors, information from the very lips is considered ___ and true.
5.He said he learned the secret ___ the very lips of his best friend.
6.If you hear something from the very lips, you can be sure it is ___.
7.The story came from the very lips, not from someone ___ it secondhand.