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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hidden agenda [noun]

a secret reason behind a plan or action

Ex: The company 's CEO was suspected of having a hidden agenda when he unexpectedly laid off a significant number of employees .

between you and me [sentence]

said to ask someone to keep a conversation secret

Ex: Between you and me , I do n't think their relationship is going well , but they have n't told anyone yet .

to [breathe|say] a word about {sth} [phrase]

to tell other people what is supposed to stay secret

Ex: He knew the consequences could be dire if he said a word about his involvement in the illegal scheme .

conspiracy of silence [phrase]

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

Ex: The witnesses ' conspiracy of silence hindered the investigation into the crime , making it difficult to gather evidence .

to [keep] a lid on {sth} [phrase]

to not let something become revealed to others

Ex:

to [keep|play|hold] {one's} cards close to {one's} (chest|vest) [phrase]

to refrain from revealing one's true intentions or plans

Ex: The detective held his cards close to his chest during the interrogation , carefully extracting information from the suspect without revealing his own knowledge .

to [keep] {sth} under {one's} hat [phrase]

to avoid sharing a secret with others

Ex: The inventor shared a groundbreaking idea with a colleague , trusting them to keep it under their hat until the patent process was complete .

to [keep|stay] schtum [phrase]

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

Ex: The boss of the failed company is keeping schtum about his role in the disaster .

mum is the word [sentence]

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

Ex:

{one's} lips [are] sealed [sentence]

used when one says that one will not reveal secret information

Ex:

skeleton in the closet [phrase]

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

Ex:

these four walls [phrase]

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

Ex: Now , remember , what we discuss here stays within these four walls ; it 's confidential .

to [tell] tales (out of|outside) school [phrase]

to share information that is secret or private

Ex: It 's important to maintain confidentiality and not tell tales outside school regarding the company 's internal affairs .

to [keep] {one's} own counsel [phrase]

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

Ex: He tends to keep his own counsel , rarely discussing his true feelings .

to [keep] {sth} dark [phrase]

to not let other people know about something

Ex: He decided to keep his financial troubles dark and not share them with anyone .

(as|) (close|dumb) as an oyster [phrase]

a person who can be trusted with one's secrets

Ex: Despite repeated attempts to get him to talk , he remained as close as an oyster , revealing nothing about his involvement in the incident .

to [cover] {one's} tracks [phrase]

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

Ex: The spy meticulously covered her tracks to ensure she could n't be traced back to her mission .

to [paper] over the cracks [phrase]

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

Ex: The company tried to paper over the cracks by offering small bonuses instead of addressing the underlying issues of low morale .

to [keep] {sth} under wraps [phrase]

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

Ex:

trade secret [noun]

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

Ex: He wo n’t share how he stays so fit , calling it a trade secret .

Truth, Secrecy, & Deception
Deception	Secrecy	Keeping Secrets	Lying & Exaggeration
Obviousness	Pretense	Revealing Secrets	Depth & Surface
Trust & Honesty	Truthfulness	Flattery & Bragging