expression, ichidan verb
slur one's words; speak unclearly; lisp
Describes speech that becomes tangled or unclear, often due to nervousness, drunkenness, or a physical condition. The expression literally means 'the tongue gets tangled'.
緊張して舌がもつれてしまった。
I got nervous and my words got all tangled up.
酔っ払って舌がもつれている。
He's drunk and slurring his words.
Standard kana-mixed spelling; the verb もつれる is usually written in kana.
Kanji form using 縺れる; rarely used and may not display correctly on all systems.
The expression combines 舌 (tongue) with もつれる (to get tangled). The verb もつれる is of native Japanese origin, and the phrase figuratively describes speech becoming tangled like threads.