Public figures like celebrities and politicians often have publicists who carefully manage their public image. But people are curious to know what their private lives are like outside of the limelight. That’s why biographies that promise to lift the lid on the private lives of public figures are in big demand by publishers. Were you ever surprised by the information you read in a biography?
Click on the video below to learn more about this hand idiom and hear some example sentences.
Transcript
Welcome to Everyday Idioms with me, Dara, from freespiritenglish.com!
If you lift the lid on a pot when you’re cooking, all the steam comes out. Similarly, we use the phrase to lift the lid on when we’re talking about releasing steamy secrets about someone or something, when we make private information public.
Let’s look at a few examples:
- Britney Gaga’s new book, “Behind the Music,” lifts the lid on her turbulent marriage to Brad Depp.
- Welcome to Celeb Chat! In today’s episode, Hollywood bad boy Tim Cruise lifts the lid on his time in prison!
- Rightly or wrongly, Julian Assange’s website, Wikileaks, has consistently lifted the lid on the secret actions of governments around the world.
So, there we have it: lift the lid on. Can you use this idiom in sentences of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
Practice
Read the following prompts. Try to respond using today’s expression.
- Have you ever read a book that gave a lot of information about a celebrity’s private life?
- What newspapers or magazines in your country tend to share gossip about the private lives of public figures? What celebrity secrets have been exposed recently?
- Have you seen any documentaries or television programs that gave you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a public figure?
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Everyday Idioms! Come and visit us on Facebook or Instagram for more English learning resources.
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