| 释义 |
a skeleton in the cupboard/closet skeleton in the/(one's) closetAn 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.See also: closet, skeletonskeleton in the/(one's) cupboardAn 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.See also: cupboard, skeletonskeleton(s) in the closeta 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.See also: closet, skeletonskeleton in the closetA 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] See also: closet, skeletona 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.See also: closet, skeletona 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 .See also: cupboard, skeletona 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?See also: closet, cupboard, skeletonskeleton in the closetA 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.See also: closet, skeleton |