secret (redirected from secretly)

carry a secret to the grave and carry a secret to one's grave

Fig. to never reveal a secret, even to the day of one's death. John carried our secret to his grave. Trust me, I will carry your secret to the grave!

See also: carry, grave

Could you keep a secret? and Can you keep a secret?

I am going to tell you something that I hope you will keep a secret. (Also used with can in place of could.) Tom: Could you keep a secret? Mary: Sure. Tom: Don't tell anybody, but I'm going to be a daddy. Sue: Can you keep a secret? Alice: Of course. Sue: We're moving to Atlanta.

See also: could, keep

in secret

secretly. They planned in secret to blow up the bridge. I will tell her in secret so no one else will hear.

keep a secret

to know a secret and not tell anyone. Please keep our little secret private. Do you know how to keep a secret?

See also: keep

make a secret of something

to act as if something were a secret. I'm not making a secret of it. lam quitting this job. Mary made a secret of her intentions.

See also: make

open secret

something that is supposed to be known only by a few people but is known in fact to a great many people. Their engagement is an open secret. Only their friends are supposed to know, but in fact, the whole town knows. It's an open secret that Max is looking for a new job.

See also: open

trade secret 

1. Lit. a secret way of making or selling a product; a business secret. The exact formula of the soft drink is a trade secret.

2. Fig. any secret method. (Jocular.) A: How do you manage to sell so many of these each month? B: It's a trade secret.

See also: trade

Your secret is safe with me.

I will not tell your secret to anyone. Don't worry. I won't tell. Your secret's safe with me. Your secret is safe with me. I will carry it to my grave.

See also: safe