"Skeletons in the closet" is an informal idiom that means a secret from someone's past that they would not like other people to know. It can also mean something embarrassing or shameful that is kept hidden.
Meanings
- A secret from someone's past that they would not like other people to know
- Something embarrassing or shameful that is kept hidden
Literally: skeletons hidden inside a closet
Examples
- Every family has a few skeletons in the closet.
- Before the election, reporters went looking for skeletons in the candidate's closet.
- He has a skeleton in his closet that he never talks about.
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More about it
It has been used in English since the 1800s. The picture is of a family hiding a skeleton out of sight, the way people hide a shameful secret. In British English the usual form is "a skeleton in the cupboard".
Often said in the singular too: "a skeleton in the closet" or "a skeleton in his closet". Canadians say "closet"; British speakers say "cupboard". Informal, but fine in most everyday conversations.
dark secret, family secret
open book
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Idiom - to have skeletons in the closet