
a skeleton in the cupboard | closet
This page is about the idiom a skeleton in the cupboard | closet
Meaning
If you have a skeleton in the cupboard, or in the closet, you have a secret in your past which could damage you if it became known.
For example
- Before we give you the job, we need to know if you have any skeletons in the cupboard which the press could find out about. Things like a criminal record or drug or alcohol problems in the past.
- Politicians can't afford to have any skeletons in the closet these days. Their enemies are sure to find them.
"A skeleton in the cupboard" is used in British and Australian English while "a skeleton in the closet" is used in American English. The meaning is the same for both.
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Contributor: Matt Errey