A skeleton in the closet
Meaning: A shameful secret kept hidden.
Language: English
Literally: A skeleton in the closet
Category: Daily Life
Origin: A 19th-century English image evoking a literal hidden corpse that a respectable family conceals from view.
More idioms — Daily Life
- To read the riot act — To reprimand someone sternly.
- To pull out all the stops — To make every possible effort.
- To jump on the bandwagon — To join something only once it becomes popular.
- Sein blaues Wunder erleben — To get an unpleasant surprise.
- Fare il portoghese — To sneak in without paying.
- Rimanere in mutande — To be left penniless.
More English idioms
- To give a wide berth — To keep well away from someone or something.
- To have egg on your face — To look foolish or embarrassed.
- To bury your head in the sand — To refuse to face an obvious danger.
- To bite off more than you can chew — To take on more than you can handle.
- Caught between a rock and a hard place — Stuck between two equally bad options.
- To show your true colors — To reveal your real character at last.
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