| 词汇 | clam up |
| 词源 | clam up. Clam up is an Americanism for “to become silent, refuse to disclose information,” dating back to 1916 and refer- ring to the difficulty of opening the “lips” of the clam. Clam, for “mouth,” has been common in America since the early 19th century. Close as a clam, describing a stingy person, is an older expression that probably originated in England. See happy as a clam at high tide. |
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