| 释义 |
skeleton in the closet
skeleton in the closetA secret, especially one that would cause embarrassment if known; from the use of real human skeletons by anatomists who often obtained these illegally.Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | skeleton in the closet - a scandal that is kept secret; "there must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet"skeleton in the cupboard, skeletonscandal, outrage - a disgraceful event |
Translationsskeleton in the closet
skeleton in the/(one's) closetAn 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, skeletonskeleton(s) in the closeta hidden and shocking secret. You can ask anyone about how reliable I am. I don't mind. I don't have any skeletons in the closet. My uncle was in jail for a day once. That's our family's skeleton in the closet.See also: closet, skeletonskeleton in the closetA shameful secret, as in Both her parents were alcoholics; that was the skeleton in her closet. This metaphoric term alludes to a murder victim long concealed in a closet, possibly based on some true incident that is now forgotten. [Early 1800s] See also: closet, skeletona skeleton in the ˈcupboard/ˈcloset something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret: The new presidential candidate is certainly popular, but does he have any skeletons in the closet?See also: closet, cupboard, skeletonskeleton in the closet, theA shameful secret. This term likens a family secret to a murder victim hidden away in a closet or cupboard. If it ever was based on such an incident, the history has been lost. In any event, the metaphor became current in the early nineteenth century. Thackeray used it in several novels, as did Dickens, George Meredith, and other nineteenth-century British writers, and it remains current.See also: skeletonskeleton in the closetA hidden shame. As if hiding a murder victim or another object that would cause great distress to the hider if found, to have a skeleton in the closet is to have a secret of any sort that you don't want revealed.See also: closet, skeletonEncyclopediaSeeskeletonskeleton in the closet
Synonyms for skeleton in the closetnoun a scandal that is kept secretSynonyms- skeleton in the cupboard
- skeleton
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