Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
skeleton in the closet en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Meanings
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(US, idiomatic) A shameful secret.
I think it’s safe to say that the skeletons in the closets of some lawmakers corrupted the process, making an even stronger case for why a politician’s character is so important.
2016, Phil Valentine, “Compromising Position”, in The Conservative’s Handbook: Defining the Right Position on Issues from A to Z, Naperville, Ill.: Cumberland House, →ISBN, chapter 3 (Character is the single most important attribute in a leader), page 35:"Humph!" she vouchsafed. Then, showing her old-time interest, she went on: "But, say, it is queer, his speakin' to you, honestly, Miss Pollyanna. He don't speak ter no one; and he lives all alone in a great big lovely house all full of jest grand things, they say. Some says he's crazy, and some jest cross; and some says he's got a skeleton in his closet."
1913, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter 9, in Pollyanna, L.C. Page, →OCLC:
Forms
Synonyms
skeleton in the house · skeleton in the cupboard