come out of the closet
Meaning: To tell people openly that one is gay or lesbian; more broadly, to reveal something kept secret.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He came out of the closet to his parents at Thanksgiving, and they hugged him.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The closet is a hidden place, as in "a skeleton in the closet." The phrase became current in the gay rights movement of the late 1960s and 1970s; "coming out" is its short form.
Equivalents in other languages
- Portuguese: sair do armário — literally: out of the closet
More idioms — Daily Life
- neither here nor there — Not relevant to the matter being discussed.
- at this stage of the game — At this point in a process, usually when it is late to change things.
- get the hang of something — To learn how to do something.
- go all out — To make the greatest possible effort.
- at the end of the day — When everything is taken into account; in the end.
- tough luck — Said when nothing can be done about a disappointment, often without much sympathy.
More English idioms
- something is rotten in the state of Denmark — Something is seriously wrong, often something being hidden.
- the eye of the storm — The center of a crisis; sometimes a brief calm in the middle of it.
- poor as a church mouse — Extremely poor.
- cut to the chase — To get straight to the point.
- be lost for words — To be so surprised or moved that one cannot speak.
- know the score — To understand the real situation, including its less pleasant facts.