Is a secret safe with you? Here are some English idioms about telling a secret and keeping a secret.
Poker Terms - Common Phrases and Acronyms. In poker, there is practically a library of poker terms that are commonly used. For the uninitiated, these terms can sound like a completely different language, when a poker player says, 'I flopped a belly buster on a rainbow board', when they are really saying that they have an inside straight draw, after the dealer dealt the first three cards, all. Oct 14, 2015 This week's post is written by Sophie Jackson, a freelance journalist specialising in politics, modern history and pop culture. You can find her on Twitter. Sophie contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if she could contribute an article on poker idioms to this blog. I was delighted and honoured she chose English with a Twist and was only too happy to agree. She chose the topic of poker as. What does the idiom “poker face” mean? Definition: a facial expression that reveals nothing. Example: Brian is a good negotiator because he has an excellent poker face. You absolutely cannot tell what he’s thinking. Note: From the game of poker, where showing any kind of reaction is disadvantageous.
to leak = to let a secret out: “Somebody has leaked the diplomatic cables.” (If something leaks, it lets out water.)
whistle blower = someone who blows the whistle on an organisation tells the wider world about bad / illegal practices: “Whistle blowers aren’t always protected by the law.”
spill the beans = to tell a secret: “Josie spilled the beans on her relationship with her boss.”
let the cat out of the bag = let a secret out: “Don’t let the cat out of the bag! I want his present to be a secret.”
crack under pressure = tell something because you’ve been under pressure to: “The criminal cracked under pressure of his interrogation and confessed to robbery.”
take the lid off something = reveal a secret: “He’s taken the lid off what really happens in animal testing labs.”
Some gossip idioms:
dish the dirt = tell the public about an ex: “Is she going to dish the dirt on her footballer husband?”
kiss and tell = a story told by an ex: “In the latest kiss and tell, we hear all about a Hollywood actor.”
be a blabbermouth = tell everything (blab = slang for talk): “She’s such a blabbermouth. I can’t believe she told you!”
keep mum = keep quiet: “Can you keep mum? I’ve got something to tell you.”
stay schtum = stay silent: “If you can stay schtum, I want to say something to you…”
my lips are sealed = I won’t say a word: “You can trust me. My lips are sealed.”
keep a poker face = not give away anything: “If you can keep a poker face, people will tell you secrets.”
take your secret to the grave with you = never reveal a secret: “Unfortunately, he took his secret to the grave with him. We’ll never know the truth.”
keep something under wraps = keep something secret: “They kept their plans under wraps.”
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