IdiomDaily Life
English
EnglishA skeleton in the closet
Meaning: A shameful secret kept hidden.
Example: “Every politician seems to have a skeleton in the closet.”
Origin: A 19th-century English image evoking a literal hidden corpse that a respectable family conceals from view.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Avoir un cadavre dans le placard Literally: To have a corpse in the cupboard
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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