pull back the curtain

Meaning: To expose a hidden truth or reality behind an appearance.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Category: Daily Life

Origin: The image draws on theater curtains that conceal the stage machinery and workings behind the performance.

More idioms — Daily Life

present company excepted — These remarks do not apply to anyone currently present in this conversation.
on sufferance — Tolerated reluctantly and only because one has no better choice.
friend of Bill W. — A recovering alcoholic, especially one in Alcoholics Anonymous.
wear out one's welcome — To overstay one's time as a guest until one's presence becomes unwelcome or burdensome.
nothing short of — Absolutely; entirely; completely—nothing less than the full extent of what is stated.
live in the past — To be preoccupied with previous events and unable to move forward in life.

set in stone — Unchangeable and permanent, fixed beyond modification.
give up the ghost — To die, or to cease functioning entirely.
hammer and tongs — With great vigor and force; in a determined and vigorous manner.
in black and white — Stated explicitly and in writing; absolutely clear and unambiguous.
string attached — A hidden condition or requirement that makes something less advantageous than it initiall…
rhyme or reason — Any logical sense or reasonable explanation.

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