AT THE TIP OF ONE'S TONGUE

adv. phr. informal 1. Almost spoken; at the point of being said. It was at the tip of my tongue to tell him, when the phone rang. John had a rude answer on the tip of his tongue, but he remembered his manners just in time. 2. Almost remembered; at the point where one can almost say it but cannot because it is forgotten. I have his name on the tip of my tongue.