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  1. SKELETON IN THE/YOUR CLOSET definition: 1. an embarrassing secret: 2. a secret that would cause embarrassment if it were known: . Learn more.

    • English (US)

      SKELETON IN THE/YOUR CLOSET meaning: 1. an embarrassing...

    • Skeleton Key

      SKELETON KEY definition: 1. a key that will open several...

    • Skeletons in The Closet Meaning
    • Origin of Skeletons in The Closet
    • Examples of Skeletons in The Closet
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    Definition:A shameful secret that could seriously harm a person’s reputation if people discovered it. The metaphorin this expression is clear. It likens a family or personal secret to a murder victim hidden in a closet.

    There is no source material showing that this metaphor got its beginnings from a literal event. While it is possible that someone somewhere was hiding skeletons in his or her closet (stranger things have happened), there isn’t a known historical event that points to this specific phrase. Instead, it first appeared as a metaphor in the early 1800s. ...

    In this conversation, a mother and daughter are discussing the new boyfriend the daughter has. Daughter: I’m inviting my new boyfriend over for dinner tonight, so you and Dad can finally meet him. Mother: Great! Just don’t let your father learn his last name. Daughter: Why not? Mother: He wants to do a background check on him to make sure he isn’t ...

    This excerpt is about allowing some criminals to erase records of their crimes after serving their punishment. 1. While Berkeley law students have been serving clean-slate clients, University of California researchers have been studying the results. We already know that clean-slate interventions increase a person’s ability to get a job and provide ...

    The phrase skeletons in the closetrefers to any shameful fact that a person tries to cover up so that no one else will ever learn about it.

    Learn the definition and origin of the idiom skeletons in the closet, which means a shameful secret that could harm a person's reputation. See examples of how to use this expression in different contexts and situations.

  2. The expression ‘a skeleton in the closet’ refers to a secret source of shame, potentially ruinous if exposed, which a person or family makes efforts to conceal. What's the origin of the phrase 'A skeleton in the closet'? The phrase ‘a skeleton in the closet’ was coined in England in the 19th century.

  3. Learn the meaning and origin of the phrase "skeleton in the closet", which means a hidden and shameful secret. Find examples, synonyms, and related expressions from various sources.

  4. The meaning of SKELETONS IN THE/SOMEONE'S CLOSET is something bad or embarrassing that happened in someone's past and that is kept secret. How to use skeletons in the/someone's closet in a sentence.

  5. A 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.

  6. 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.