Tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines love a good celebrity story. The paparazzi will often go to great lengths to unearth the secrets of anyone in the public eye. They know that sharing juicy gossip about a famous person’s past will help to sell tons of copies of their paper or magazine. So if you’re a celebrity with skeletons in the closet, you’d better watch out!
Watch the video below to learn more about this interesting expression.
Transcript
Ahem. Skeletons in the closet? I only have clothes in my closet! I don’t know about you!
Don’t worry! Skeletons in the closet is a phrase that we use for a type of secret. That is, a fact that would be embarrassing, shameful, or harmful if people knew it.
Let’s look at a few examples:
- John has a lot of skeletons in the closet … and I know them all! For example, did you know that he has been to prison?
- Nobody is perfect. Everyone has skeletons in the closet.
- That politician has a lot of skeletons in his closet. If they are ever revealed, he will not only lose his job – he’ll be sent to prison.
So, there we are: skeletons in the closet. Do you have any similar phrases in your language?
Practice
Are you ready to practice today’ s expression? Why not give it a try in the comments section below.
- Journalists sometimes reveal the secrets of celebrities or politicians. Do you know of any well-known person who has had a secret exposed by the press?
- Did a coworker or friend ever have an embarrassing secret revealed in public?
- Is there anyone you’ve met who you suspect has not told you the full truth about their past?
Did you find this video to be interesting? If so, take a look at more videos in this series.
Master a large number of common English idioms with our online course Essential English idioms. You will learn helpful expressions to use in a variety of day-to-day situations. Check it out here.
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