"We might knit that knot with our tongues that we shall never undo with our teeth"

Words have the power to create bonds and entanglements more intricate and lasting than anything done by physical force. The metaphor of knitting a knot with the tongue evokes the image of speech weaving complexities, promises, secrets, lies, oaths, or declarations, that become inextricable once set into the world. What the tongue ties cannot be as easily untied by the teeth, representing action or reversal.

Language is an instrument of immense potency; it can bind people in ways that mere actions cannot. Through speech, individuals may enter into contracts, vows, or confessions that echo for a lifetime. Emotional ties, established by words of love or loyalty, endure even through hardship, sometimes outlasting physical relationships. On the other hand, a careless word can create enmity or misunderstanding that cannot be mended, regardless of subsequent attempts to retract or clarify. The metaphor cautions that what is spoken can establish situations, responsibilities, or barriers impossible to dissolve.

The duality also suggests the permanence and sometimes the danger inherent in verbal commitments or offenses. Teeth, used for tearing or unmaking, are rendered useless against knots spun by the tongue, highlighting the futility of trying to repair or reverse with force what should have been considered more carefully before utterance. The implication is to speak with foresight, recognizing the lasting effect of language. Words, once released, cannot be recalled; their consequences outlive the instant of expression.

Ultimately, the saying serves as a timeless reminder of the solemn responsibility that attends speech, urging deliberate thought before speaking. Bonds and rifts both find their strongest roots in the spoken word, enduring where physical efforts may fail. What is spoken from the depths of conviction, love, or anger weaves itself firmly into the fabric of human relationship, unyielding to later regret or contrition.