family skeleton
A sinister or scandalous secret that is kept closely guarded by one's family. Typically used in plural constructions. There are some conspiracy theories flying around that the reporter stumbled upon one of the aristocrats' dark family skeletons, prompting them to have her killed. The explosive memoir by the famous actor details all sorts of family skeletons that have been buried for years, including patterns of emotional abuse inflicted by his parents. Even the most seemingly perfect people have some pretty shocking family skeletons.
have (a) skeleton(s) in (one's)/the closet
To have (an) embarrassing, unpleasant, damaging, or incriminating secret(s) from one's past. Primarily heard in US. Even the most seemingly perfect people have some pretty shocking skeletons in their closets. She has some skeletons in her closet that could ruin her chance at the presidency if the press were to find out about them. My agoraphobia has always been something of a skeleton in the closet for me.
have (a) skeleton(s) in (one's)/the cupboard
To have (an) embarrassing, unpleasant, damaging, or incriminating secret(s) from one's past. Primarily heard in UK. Even the most seemingly perfect people have some pretty shocking skeletons in their cupboards. She has some skeletons in her cupboard that could ruin her chance at the presidency if the press were to find out about them. My agoraphobia has always been something of a skeleton in the cupboard for me.
know where (all) the skeletons are buried
To know a large amount of secret or scandalous information about a person or group that they would not want to be revealed. Such information is usually gained through one's lengthy experience with that person or group. A variant of the more common phrase "know where (all) the bodies are buried." I've been an accountant with this company for over 50 years, so trust me, I know where all the skeletons are buried. He climbed to power because he worked for several top government and military officials and knew where the skeletons were buried.
skeleton at the feast
One whose pessimistic outlook or behavior dampens the mood at a happy event. Don't invite Chris to your engagement party—he's always so gloomy and will just be a skeleton at the feast.
skeleton crew
The bare minimum amount of employees necessary to keep an office, business, service, etc., running at a basic level. We can't have a restaurant that is completely closed during the slow season, so we keep a skeleton crew on board to serve the few customers who decide to come in. The rigs will have a skeleton crew keeping them running until the company finishes handing over its business to the new owners.
skeleton in the/(one's) closet
An embarrassing or shameful secret. Primarily heard in US. If you've got a skeleton in the closet, it will probably be exposed during this campaign. He didn't believe me when I said that I didn't have any skeletons in my closet.
skeleton in the/(one's) cupboard
An embarrassing or shameful secret. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. If you've got a skeleton in the cupboard, it will probably be exposed during this campaign. He didn't believe me when I said that I didn't have any skeletons in my cupboard.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
skeleton(s) in the closet
a hidden and shocking secret. You can ask anyone about how reliable I am. I don't mind. I don't have any skeletons in the closet. My uncle was in jail for a day once. That's our family's skeleton in the closet.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
skeleton in the closet
A shameful secret, as in Both her parents were alcoholics; that was the skeleton in her closet. This metaphoric term alludes to a murder victim long concealed in a closet, possibly based on some true incident that is now forgotten. [Early 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
a skeleton in the closet
BRITISH, AMERICAN or a skeleton in the cupboard
BRITISHCOMMON If someone has a skeleton in the closet or a skeleton in the cupboard, they have a secret that would cause great embarrassment or shame if other people knew about it. But everybody's got vices, haven't they? There's always a skeleton in the closet somewhere. Note: This expression is variable. Show me somebody with no skeletons in their cupboard, and I'll show you a skilful liar.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
a skeleton in the cupboard
a discreditable or embarrassing fact that someone wishes to keep secret. A US variant of this expression is a skeleton in the closet .
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a skeleton ˈcrew/ˈstaff/ˈservice
the minimum number of staff necessary to run an organization or service: At weekends we have a skeleton staff to deal with emergencies.a skeleton in the ˈcupboard/ˈcloset
something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret: The new presidential candidate is certainly popular, but does he have any skeletons in the closet?Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
skeleton in (one's) closet
A source of shame or disgrace, as in a family, that is kept secret.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
skeleton in the closet, the
A shameful secret. This term likens a family secret to a murder victim hidden away in a closet or cupboard. If it ever was based on such an incident, the history has been lost. In any event, the metaphor became current in the early nineteenth century. Thackeray used it in several novels, as did Dickens, George Meredith, and other nineteenth-century British writers, and it remains current.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
skeleton in the closet
A hidden shame. As if hiding a murder victim or another object that would cause great distress to the hider if found, to have a skeleton in the closet is to have a secret of any sort that you don't want revealed.
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price