don't wash your dirty linen in public
Meaning: Keep private problems and quarrels private.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Stop arguing in front of the guests; don't wash your dirty linen in public.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Borrowed from the French "il faut laver son linge sale en famille," which Napoleon is reported to have used in 1815. English usage is found from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Laver son linge sale en famille — literally: To wash one's dirty linen within the family
More idioms — Daily Life
- not the sharpest tool in the shed — Not very intelligent.
- since time immemorial — For longer than anyone can remember.
- much ado about nothing — A lot of fuss about something unimportant.
- have one's work cut out — To face a difficult task.
- mum's the word — Keep this secret; say nothing.
- search me — I don't know.
More English idioms
- can't see the forest for the trees — Too focused on details to understand the whole situation.
- the honeymoon period — The early, happy stage of a new relationship or arrangement, before problems appear.
- for donkey's years — For a very long time.
- cry one's eyes out — To cry very hard and for a long time.
- make sheep's eyes at — To look at someone in a lovesick, foolish way (dated).
- you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar — Kindness persuades people better than harshness.
From our compliments & insults
- Tienes mucho corazón — You're extraordinarily generous and warm — you give more than you need to.
- Tienes mucho arte — You have natural flair, charm, and creative talent — an effortless quality that can't be…
- Eres todo un personaje — Said with deep affection: you're unforgettable, one of a kind, impossible to replace.