" A skeleton in the closet (or cupboard) "
Meaning:
A secret and possibly ruinous source of shame.
Example:
No one in the family ever talked about Grandad being convicted of child abuse. It was the skeleton in our closet.
Where did it originate?:
The United Kingdom.
Where is it used?:
Worldwide, although the British now use ’cupboard’ and the USA still uses ’closet’.
Hear the idiom spoken:
