come out of the closet

Meaning: To tell people openly that one is gay or lesbian; more broadly, to reveal something kept secret.

Example: “He came out of the closet to his parents at Thanksgiving, and they hugged him.”

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 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.

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Equivalents in other languages

More idioms — Daily Life

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