Search results
a skeleton in the closet | American Dictionary. idiom. Add to word list. a secret that would cause embarrassment if it were known: Almost everybody has a skeleton in the closet. (Definition of skeleton in the/your closet from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Translations of skeleton in the/your closet.
- Polski
skeleton in the/your closet definicja: 1. an embarrassing...
- English (US)
SKELETON IN THE/YOUR CLOSET meaning: 1. an embarrassing...
- Skeleton Key
SKELETON KEY definition: 1. a key that will open several...
- Skeleton Staff
SKELETON STAFF definition: 1. the smallest number of people...
- Polski
- Meaning
- Example Sentences
- Origin
a secret of an embarrassing, guilty or shameful nature that you don’t want to disclosesomething potentially disreputable that you wish to keep privatea bad thing from the past that could harm a person’s career or credibility if known or revealeda secret fact about someone that will destroy a person’s reputation if exposedI have come to know that Eric has a skeleton in his cupboard.It is always possible to find a skeleton in the closetwhen you dig into family history. Our great, great, grandfather had been in prison for bank robbery.Jane had been married to Matt for eight years before she found out about the skeleton in his cupboard. His teenage son turned up one day out of the blue, and she didn’t know he had other children....The party asked the candidate if he had any skeletons in the cupboardthat could potentially derail the campaign.This phrase has quite a horrible history. UK parliament passed a bill in 1832 allowing doctors to dissect dead bodies for medical research. Before this, they could only use the corpses of executed criminals (which were more plentiful back then). It would have been unseemly to keep a dissected cadaver on display for the public to see so, the most ob...
The idiom “skeleton in the closet” refers to a shameful or embarrassing secret that someone tries to keep hidden from others. However, there are common mistakes that people make when using this idiom.
Meaning. A secret and possibly ruinous source of shame. Examples. No one in the family ever talked about Grandad being convicted of child abuse. It was the skeleton in our closet. Where did it originate? The United Kingdom. Where is it used? Worldwide, although the British now use ’cupboard’ and the USA still uses ’closet’. Hear the idiom spoken.
Skeletons in the Closet Meaning. Definition: A shameful secret that could seriously harm a person’s reputation if people discovered it. The metaphor in this expression is clear. It likens a family or personal secret to a murder victim hidden in a closet. Origin of Skeletons in the Closet
An embarrassing or shameful secret. Primarily heard in US. If you've got a skeleton in the closet, it will probably be exposed during this campaign. He didn't believe me when I said that I didn't have any skeletons in my closet. See also: closet, skeleton. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Meaning: If someone has a skeleton in the closet, they have a dark, shameful secret in their past that they want to remain secret. Country: International English | Subject Area: Death | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used. Contributor: Richard Flynn.
