IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishtalk behind someone's back
Meaning: To say unkind things about someone when they are not present.
Example: “I trusted her, but she's been talking behind my back to the whole office.”
Origin: Speaking ill of someone behind their back is an old complaint: Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (around 1470) has "to say of me wrong or shame behind my back." What is said where a person cannot see or answer is the essence of gossip.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un Literally: To break sugar on someone's back- French: Habiller quelqu'un pour l'hiver Literally: To dress someone for winter
More English idioms
- add fuel to the fire To make a bad situation worse.
- have pins and needles To feel a prickling, tingling sensation in a limb that has gone numb.
- worm something out of someone To get information from someone gradually and persistently.
- eat one's words To admit that something one said was wrong.
- have a big head To be conceited; to think too highly of oneself.
- have itchy feet To feel a restless urge to travel or move on.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- The worst wheel of a cart creaks most. The most damaged or weakest part of any system draws attention and creates problems dispr…
- Credit lost is a Venice glass broken. Once trust in your reliability shatters, it cannot be perfectly restored, only roughly me…
- Creditors have better memories than debtors. Those owed money recall their claims far more vividly than those owing it wish to remembe…
Keep exploring