gob
Your mouth, especially when somebody wants it shut.
Also called gub, trap.
Updated September 21, 2026
gob pronunciation
/GAHB/
Meaning
A blunt word for the mouth. "Shut your gob" means quit talking. Scots and Irish settlers brought it over, and it stuck in rough country talk. Same root shows up when folks say a gob of butter or a gob of tomatoes, meaning a lump or a big lot. Context tells you which sense is running.
How folks use it
- “Shut your gob before your daddy hears that talk.”
- “He jammed a biscuit in his gob and kept walking.”
Origin and etymology
From Scots and Irish gob, a beak or mouth, related to Gaelic gob. Northern British and Ulster speech used it for centuries. Scotch-Irish settlers carried it into Appalachia and the wider South. The lump/quantity sense grew from the old "mouthful" idea.
Frequently asked questions
Does gob only mean mouth?
No. It can also mean a lump or a large amount, like a gob of gravy. The sentence usually makes it clear.