口くち塞ふさぎ

noun

gagging; silencing; hush money; tiny morsel

Literally 'mouth-blocking'. Can refer to physically preventing someone from speaking, figuratively silencing them (e.g., with a bribe), or a morsel so small it barely fills the mouth. The 'tiny morsel' sense is rare and often appears in set phrases like 口塞ぎにもならない (not even enough to stop one's mouth).

• 彼かれは証しょう人にんの口くち塞ふさぎに金かねを渡わたした。

  He gave money to the witness as hush money.

• こんな小ちいさなケーキでは口くち塞ふさぎにもならない。

  A cake this small is hardly a mouthful.