[General] shut up like an oyster

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

He was talking quite freely till we mentioned his brother, then he shut up like an oyster.

shut up like an oyster = become silent, dry up, hold one’s peace

Thanks for your efforts.

Regard,

V

 

[Tdol]

Yes- like clam up. ;-)

 

[BobK]

Perhaps it's worth adding - as some people may not know - that 'clam up' isn't just a random synonym. A clam is also a shellfish - the sort you get in spaghetti alle vongole.

b

 

[vil]

A clam is also a person.;-)

clam = a close-mouthed person, especially one who can keep a secret

V.

 

[BobK]

A clam is also a person.;-)

clam = a close-mouthed person, especially one who can keep a secret

V.

Yes, I thought you'd know vil ;-), but I wanted to point out that a real bivalve was at the bottom of the original metaphor - and that includes the person as well as the process.

b