böse Zungen

== German == === Etymology === Literally, “evil tongues”, perhaps after French mauvaises langues. Compare Dutch boze tongen. === Noun === böse Zungen f pl (plural only, definite plural die bösen Zungen) (idiomatic) mockers or gossipers ==== Usage notes ==== Most often construed with the verb behaupten (“to claim”), but one can also say laut bösen Zungen etc. ==== Declension ====