(See also SECRECY.)

all one’s geese are swans See EXAGGERATION.

cover one’s tracks To hide or conceal one’s actions or motives, to cover up, to get rid of the evidence. The allusion is to the practice of American Indians, backwoodsmen, and such, who erased or otherwise obliterated their footprints to avoid being followed. See Indian file, ARRANGEMENT.

gild the pill To mask or ease an offensive or onerous task by providing attractive incentives; to cloak in euphemism. This expression is derived from the sugary coating applied to pills to make them more palatable.

put up a smoke screen To camouflage or conceal one’s intentions, motives, or actions from one’s rivals or opponents, or from the general public. A smoke screen is a cover of dense smoke produced to camouflage a ship, plane, or area from the enemy during top-secret military operations.

sweep under the carpet To cover up or conceal something embarrassing or disagreeable in the hope that it will escape notice or be forgotten; also to push under the carpet.

Of fairly recent coinage, this expression refers to the lazy person’s step-saving trick of literally sweeping dirt under the rug instead of picking it up.

under the counter In a clandestine, often illegal manner; out of sight, set apart from the regular stock; having to do with money changing hands unofficially or illegally. The counter or table is the one over which money is exchanged for merchandise. Under-the-counter or under-the-table practices or products are often connected with the black market. The expression was popular during World War II when certain luxury items were in demand but accessible only “under the counter.” Banned books have also been popular “under-the-counter” items.

Under the counter is usually used interchangeably with under the table, though the latter is heard more often to describe payment made but not officially recorded, thus evading taxes.

whitewash To cover up defects, faults, or mistakes, especially to deceive the public about the disreputable goings on of a public figure; to make the guilty look innocent or to condone a reprehensible action, by hiding or manipulating the facts and creating a façade of respectability. To whitewash is literally to whiten with a composition of lime and water, or ground chalk. Figuratively, this Americanism means to exonerate or give a clean slate to an unethical or guilty person. Also used substantively, the term is commonly heard in political contexts.