don't wash your dirty linen in public

don't wash your dirty linen in public

proverb Do not discuss very private, personal matters, especially those that may be embarrassing, in public or with other people. Hey, please don't wash your dirty linen in public—it makes me uncomfortable. I'm sure celebrities have handlers warning them, "Don't wash your dirty linen in public!" And yet the tabloids have new stories to cover every hour, it seems. Please don't wash your dirty linen in public—there's no need to discuss your divorce at the dinner party.

See also: dirty, linen, public, wash

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

Do not wash your dirty linen in public.

Prov. Do not talk about your private family problems in public. Grandson: How are we going to make Dad stop drinking? Grandmother: Hush! Don't wash your dirty linen in public.

See also: dirty, linen, not, public, wash

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.