If something is tongue-in-cheek, the person saying it does not really mean it — they are joking, but keeping a straight face while they do. This is the key: it is not laughing-out-loud joking, it is dry joking. The speaker says something as if it were serious, and trusts you to notice it is not.

if something is tongue-in-cheek如果某句話是 tongue-in-cheek 的，the person saying it does not really mean it說這句話的人並不是真心的——they are joking, but keeping a straight face while they do他們是在開玩笑，但表情裝得一本正經。this is the key這是關鍵：it is not laughing-out-loud joking不是那種笑出聲的玩笑，it is dry joking是那種很乾、不動聲色的玩笑。the speaker says something as if it were serious說話的人講得好像很認真，and trusts you to notice it is not但相信你會看出來其實不是。

So a tongue-in-cheek review of a bad film might praise it in glowing words; a tongue-in-cheek apology sounds polite but is really teasing.

so a tongue-in-cheek review of a bad film所以一篇 tongue-in-cheek 的爛片影評 might praise it in glowing words可能會用很誇的好話去稱讚它；a tongue-in-cheek apology一個 tongue-in-cheek 的道歉 sounds polite but is really teasing聽起來很有禮貌，其實是在調侃。

It works as an adjective before a noun ('a tongue-in-cheek comment', 'a tongue-in-cheek suggestion') and after the verb ('his answer was tongue-in-cheek'). It also works as an adverb: 'She said it tongue in cheek' — and notice that when it comes after the verb like that, many writers drop the hyphens. Both spellings are common and neither is wrong.

it works as an adjective before a noun它可以當形容詞放在名詞前面（'a tongue-in-cheek comment', 'a tongue-in-cheek suggestion'）（「a tongue-in-cheek comment」、「a tongue-in-cheek suggestion」），and after the verb也可以放在動詞後面（'his answer was tongue-in-cheek'）（「his answer was tongue-in-cheek」）。it also works as an adverb它也可以當副詞用：'She said it tongue in cheek'「She said it tongue in cheek」——and notice that when it comes after the verb like that而且要注意，像這樣放在動詞後面的時候，many writers drop the hyphens很多人寫的時候會把連字號拿掉。both spellings are common and neither is wrong兩種寫法都很常見，都沒有錯。

The tone is light and friendly. If someone tells you 'don't worry, that was tongue-in-cheek', they are saying 'I was teasing, please don't take it badly'.

the tone is light and friendly語氣是輕鬆、友善的。if someone tells you 'don't worry, that was tongue-in-cheek'如果有人跟你說「don't worry, that was tongue-in-cheek」，they are saying 'I was teasing, please don't take it badly'他們的意思是「我是在鬧著玩，別往心裡去」。

Because it depends on the listener catching the joke, it is a word people often reach for after a joke has gone wrong.

because it depends on the listener catching the joke因為它成不成立要靠聽的人有沒有接到那個梗，it is a word people often reach for這是一個人們常常會用到的字 after a joke has gone wrong在一個玩笑講砸了之後。