Dirty Linen (Noun)
Meaning
Personal matters that could be embarrassing if made public.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The politician was accused of airing dirty linen during the debate by bringing up her opponent's past scandals.
- The company's spokesperson refused to comment on the rumors, citing a desire not to do their dirty linen in public.
- After the celebrity couple's messy breakup, their friends and family tried to stay out of it, not wanting to see their dirty linen scattered all over the tabloids.
- The siblings had a long-standing feud, but they never discussed it outside the family, preferring to keep their dirty linen hidden from prying eyes.
- The whistleblower was hesitant to come forward with allegations of corporate wrongdoing, fearing that her employer would retaliate by exposing her own dirty linen.