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Truth, Secrecy, & Deception - Keeping Secrets

Master English idioms that relate to keeping secrets, like "between you and me" and "keep a lid on".

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English idioms relate to Truth, Secrecy, & Deception
hidden agenda

a secret reason behind a plan or action

Ex: The politician's support for the new policy was questioned, as many believed he had a hidden agenda to benefit his financial backers. 
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between you and me

said to ask someone to keep a conversation secret

Ex: Between you and me, I think our boss is planning to resign next month. 
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to [breathe|say] a word about {sth}

to tell other people what is supposed to stay secret

Ex: The detective warned the witness not to breathe a word about the ongoing investigation to anyone. 
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conspiracy of silence

used to refer to an agreement made in order to keep someone from sharing or revealing information that should be otherwise publicly known

Ex: The members of the organization formed a conspiracy of silence to protect their leader from the allegations of corruption. 
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to [keep] a lid on {sth}

to not let something become revealed to others

Ex: The prime minister is desperately trying to keep a lid on revelations from his former mistress's tell-all book. 
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to [keep|play|hold] {one's} cards close to {one's} (chest|vest)

to refrain from revealing one's true intentions or plans

Ex: The negotiator kept his cards close to his chest during the business deal, not revealing his true bottom line to the other party. 
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to [keep] {sth} under {one's} hat

to avoid sharing a secret with others

Ex: Before the surprise party, she asked everyone to keep it under their hat to ensure the birthday celebrant remained unaware. 
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to [keep|stay] schtum

to decide to remain silent about something, particularly out of fear of making a situation worse

Ex: It was a secret about which the few involved stayed shtum and about which no one else knew. 
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mum is the word
mum is the word
[sentence]

said as a promise or request to not tell something to anyone else

Ex: Mum's the word, or the surprise party won't be a surprise. 
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{one's} lips [are] sealed

used when one says that one will not reveal secret information

Ex: I told him not to say anything, and he said his lips are sealed, so hopefully he'll be able to keep a secret this time. 
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skeleton in the closet

something about a person's past that they do not want to reveal or mention because it is embarrassing or unpleasant

Ex: He asked if she had any skeletons in her closet that might affect her political campaign. 
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these four walls

used to refer to a room, in which a group of people knows or witnesses something that others do not

Ex: I don’t want anything repeated outside these four walls. 
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to [tell] tales (out of|outside) school

to share information that is secret or private

Ex: You mean Fred? The guy who always tells tales outside school? 
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to [keep] {one's} own counsel

to keep one's thoughts or plans to oneself and not share them with others

Ex: Despite the heated debate, she preferred to keep her own counsel. 
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to [keep] {sth} dark

to not let other people know about something

Ex: But that was no reason to think she'd go along with keeping their relationship dark. 
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(as|) (close|dumb) as an oyster

a person who can be trusted with one's secrets

Ex: Sophie will never repeat what you tell her. She's as close as an oyster. 
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to [cover] {one's} tracks

to conceal or destroy evidence of one's activities or whereabouts to avoid detection or punishment

Ex: Roberts covered his tracks by throwing the knife in the river. 
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to [paper] over the cracks

to try to conceal flaws or problems temporarily, without addressing or solving them properly

Ex: Conversely, if you have been papering over the cracks of a relationship these same eclipses will seek them out. 
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to [keep] {sth} under wraps

to keep something secret or confidential and not to reveal it to others

Ex: But officials deny they've been keeping their proposals under wraps. 
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trade secret

a piece of personal or private information that one refuses to share with anyone

Ex: She refuses to talk about her childhood, saying it’s a trade secret. 
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