noun
cunning and spiteful, yet honey-tongued with feigned kindness
A yojijukugo describing a person whose heart is as malicious as a snake but whose words are as gentle as a Buddha's. Used in literary or formal contexts to criticize hypocritical kindness.
彼の蛇心仏口な態度にはうんざりだ。
I'm fed up with his attitude of being cunning and spiteful yet honey-tongued with feigned kindness.
蛇心仏口の人は、表向きは優しいが、裏では何を考えているかわからない。
A person who is cunning and spiteful yet honey-tongued with feigned kindness seems gentle on the surface, but you never know what they're really thinking.
Similar meaning: honey in the mouth, a sword in the belly. 蛇心仏口 emphasizes the contrast between a snake-like heart and Buddha-like words, while 口蜜腹剣 focuses on sweet words hiding a dangerous intent.
Means outwardly obedient but inwardly rebellious. 蛇心仏口 is about malicious intent masked by kind words, not just disobedience.
A yojijukugo combining 蛇心 (snake heart, meaning malicious intent) and 仏口 (Buddha mouth, meaning gentle or kind speech). The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of contrasting inner evil with outer benevolence.