🗓️ Idiom: Sweep Something Under the Rug (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To hide or ignore a problem instead of dealing with it.
- To avoid responsibility by pretending an issue does not exist.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The company tried to sweep the scandal under the rug to protect its image.
- Problems should be solved openly, not swept under the rug.
- He accused the manager of sweeping safety issues under the rug.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from the image of literally sweeping dirt under a rug to hide it from view. It became popular in the mid-20th century to describe avoiding problems instead of facing them directly, especially in politics and business.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The board decided to ________ the issue under the rug instead of discussing it openly.
Answer
sweep
2. Choose the correct meaning of “sweep something under the rug”:
a) To clean up quickly
b) To hide or ignore a problem
c) To prepare for a meeting
Answer
b) To hide or ignore a problem
3. Change the sentence using “sweep something under the rug”:
“The manager ignored the complaints instead of fixing the problem.”
Answer
The manager swept the complaints under the rug instead of fixing the problem.
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
