in the same breath; hardly had the words been said
Used when someone contradicts themselves immediately after speaking, or when an action follows so quickly that the previous words are still 'wet' on the tongue. Often carries a critical or ironic tone.
See also: 舌の根も乾かぬうち (したのねもかわかぬうち)
He said he would never do it, and in the same breath started doing exactly that.
Hardly had he apologized when he repeated the same mistake.
Variant with も instead of の; essentially the same meaning and usage. The も version may slightly emphasize 'even before the tongue's root dries'.
Standard kanji spelling for this idiomatic expression.
Variant using 内 instead of うち; less common but still encountered.
A set phrase combining 舌の根 (root of the tongue), 乾かぬ (classical negative of 乾く, 'to dry'), and うち ('while, before'). The image is of words still wet on the tongue, i.e., immediately after speaking.