In the Hindi language there is an equivalent phrase which is widely used when a common man who is trying to suggest an idea to a person in power or some higher authority respectfully without challenging the latter's incompetency to 'not see the flaw' in the system. Example: A head of the police department being addressed by a common man (person of a lower stratum) giving an intellectual suggestion. I have translated a suggestion which was originally in Hindi.
Common man: Small mouth big words but Sir, wouldn't it be a better idea to install wireless communication systems in police station too?
Is this phrase used in a similar fashion in English too? The only phrase I have seen is 'in my humble opinion' used at the start of sentence in such cases. Another phrase I know is 'Small mouth, big talk' but I haven't seen it used as a prefix in sentences. Any other appropriate suggestions are also welcome.
Best Answer
The phrase "Small mouth, big words" in the example given is casting self-doubt on the speaker (with his "small mouth") to make the bold suggestion (the "big words").
English -- British English at least -- doesn't have a strict equivalent, although there are expressions which express a similar concept:
...all of which acknowledge the speaker's position.
As an aside, "small mouth, big words" sounds far more likely to be used dismissively of someone else whom you don't think should be making the suggestion. It's an insult. The reason there isn't anything directly equivalent is that we don't normally insult ourselves.