🗓️ Idiom: Skeleton in the Closet
💬 Meaning
- Hidden secrets or embarrassing facts about someone or an organization that they want to keep private.
- In business, it often refers to undisclosed financial issues or past misconduct that could cause problems if revealed.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The audit revealed some skeletons in the closet from the company’s past management.
- Before buying the firm, the investors wanted to make sure there were no financial skeletons in the closet.
- Politicians are often afraid their skeletons in the closet will be exposed during campaigns.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom originated in 19th-century England and refers to the idea of hiding something shameful, like a dead body, in a closet. In business contexts, it implies concealed issues that could cause damage if brought to light.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The new CFO discovered several __________ in the closet during the financial review.
Answer
skeletons
2. Choose the correct meaning of “skeletons in the closet”:
A) A new business strategy
B) Hidden or embarrassing past problems
C) Financial rewards for success
Answer
B) Hidden or embarrassing past problems
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“The company had a criminal past.” → Change the sentence using: skeletons in the closet
Answer
The company had some skeletons in the closet.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Finance and Accounting Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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