Idioms

better left unsaid

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better left unsaid

Used to emphasize that something should not be mentioned, usually because it is offensive, inappropriate, or problematic. Yeah, your romantic feelings for the groom are definitely better left unsaid! I hope you know that sexist comments like that are better left unsaid. You don't like her new haircut? Well, definitely don't tell her—things like that are better left unsaid.
See also: better, left
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

better left unsaid

[refers to a topic that] should not be discussed; [refers to a thought that] everyone is thinking, but would cause difficulty if talked about in public. (A typical beginning for this phrase might be It is, That is, The details are, or even Some things are. See the examples.) Mary: I really don't know how to tell you this. Bob: Then don't. Maybe it's better left unsaid. Bill: I had such a terrible fight with Sally last night. I can't believe what I said. Bob: I don't need to hear all about it. Some things are better left unsaid.
See also: better, left
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive
"In this context what is left unsaid too is of a great deal of import for it engulfs within its space, the sub text of their creative context."
Critique: A meditation on the tragedy and hope of the human condition, "What Remains Unsaid" is an original and compelling novel by skilled novelist Audrey Kalman that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections.
The medium also contacted another star's uncle who had left some important things unsaid, and used Henry to make up for lost time-and fill in the crucial blanks.
Also unsaid in McConnell's ad is that senators only cast votes when the chamber is in session, and the Senate has only been in session 26 weeks this year.
Wrighton, producer Sean Ward, and director Anthony King, the Things Left Unsaid web series tells the story of a hipster girl with plenty of baggage taking on an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran with PTSD and baggage of his own.
To buy a copy of A Filthy Hunger or his other albums, go to: http://thelittleunsaid.bandcamp.com/ John Elliot, who performs |under the moniker The Little Unsaid
SCOTLAND'S Monday, September 30, Interactive puzzles 2 CROSSWORDS S2 SUDUKOS PLUS Winner FREE TRIAL FOR 30 DAYS 11, you to focus on what is out of sync or what's being left unsaid really needs to come to the fore.
The rear view of granddad heading off to the beach leaves much unsaid. Hunched shoulders might give a clue!
Think Twice Sometimes it's best to leave unsaid The thoughts that pop into your head, Like telling a peacock you have heard She's an arrogant, haughty, conceited bird, Or letting a rabbit know you think Her ears are too long, her nose too pink, Or telling a skunk that her perfume Makes everyone want to rash out of the room, Or greeting giraffes with, "I declare!
A LOT has been left unsaid in the row between St Mirren and referee Alan Freeland.
Regret at things done, not done, said or left unsaid causes much of the pain of bereavement.
What Klein leaves unsaid is that some candidates might just be too weak or insecure to shun a consultant's advice.
While the authors have taken full account of what they see as their triumphs in control of the council since June 2004 and their ambitions for the future, there is something rather important left unsaid.
Before words; psychoanalytic listening to the unsaid through the medium of art.
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