tongue-in-cheek | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Not intendedseriously;jocularorhumorous.Synonyms:seeThesaurus:wittyHe gave atongue-in-cheekexplanation of why the sky was blue, offering a theory about some primordial discount on light blue paint.2021December 29, Conrad Landin, “Glasgow Subway: a city institution”, inRAIL, number947, page45:It was in this era, too, that author andScotland the Bravesongwriter Cliff Hanley pennedThe Glasgow Underground, atongue-in-cheeklove letter to the Subway in song.2025August 4, Mike Isaac, “A.I. Has Ushered in Silicon Valley’s ‘Hard Tech’ Era”, inThe New York Times‎[1], archived fromthe originalon4 August 2025:Thetongue-in-cheeksendup wasn’t far from Silicon Valley’s reality.

Examples:

EN: For the second segment, we did a tongue-in-cheek medley of poverty songs amidst the opulent surroundings of our location, Bergdorf Goodman's fur department.
ES: Para el segundo acto, hicimos un popurrí de broma sobre la pobreza en medio de una zona adinerada de nuestro escenario, la sección de pieles de Bergdorf Goodman.
EN: That was tongue-in-cheek!
ES: buen punto!
EN: When there were shooting going on and things like that, it's kind of tongue-in-cheek to then turn around and say: why didn't you come out?
ES: Cuando estaban filmando los cuerpos, irónicamente se daban la vuelta y decían: "¿Por qué no saliste?".
EN: Some of it was not in good taste but it was always tongue-in-cheek.
ES: No siempre tenían buen gusto, pero siempre lo hacían irónicamente.
EN: It's the young guys' approach to a tongue-in-cheek lyric in the vein of "Bad Medicine," "You give love a bad name. "
ES: Es la estrategia de los jóvenes para una letra con doble intención al estilo de "Bad Medicine", "You Give Love a Bad Name".
EN: And it's all done very tongue-in-cheek and with a great reverence for J.R.R. Tolkien.
ES: Y todo está hecho en tono de burla y con un gran respeto por J.R.R. Tolkien.
EN: "Wow, there's tongue-in-cheek in this.
ES: "Wow, hay muchas cosas exageradas en esto.
EN: Not that tongue-in-cheek thing we usually do.
ES: No eso de lengua-en-las-mejillas que solemos hacer.
EN: Well, they got this tongue-in-cheek idea --
ES: Bueno, ellos tienen esta idea graciosa...
EN: - She means tongue-in-cheek.
ES: Quiere decir irónico.
EN: - Who else didn't think that Heathers versus Boogers was funny or tongue-in-cheek?
ES: "Te vamos a llamar mocosa para sentirnos mejor con nosotras mismas". - No creo que haya sido así.
EN: Nick Meyer, who wrote that very witty tongue-in-cheek script, he stood up for me and...
ES: Nick Meyer, que escribió ese entretenido díalogo en el argumento, me apoyó y -- no fui contigo porque pensé
EN: It really was tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, "I bet you can't do this." ♪ He's just a poor boy from a poor family
ES: Freddie llegaba por las mañanas y decía "Oh, aquí tengo más Galileos"
EN: The classic Brave and the Bold with its winning combination of thrilling adventure and tongue-in-cheek fun.
ES: con su imbatible combinación de aventura apasionante y diversión garantizada.
EN: Do a little tongue-in-cheek investigation.
ES: Hacer alguna investigación sarcástica.

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