Definition

Noun: 1. Personal matters that could be embarrassing if made public: This term refers to private, often shameful or scandalous, information about a person or group that they wish to keep secret. It is a metaphor comparing such secrets to soiled laundry that one would not want to be seen by others.

Usage

The term is almost always used in the context of revealing, discussing, or airing such secrets publicly. It is a set phrase, typically used with verbs like "wash," "air," or "discuss."

Examples

• The political debate quickly devolved into both candidates airing their dirty linen in public.
• The celebrity biography promised to reveal all the family's dirty linen.
• It's best not to wash your dirty linen in public; keep those arguments private.
• The scandal involved a lot of dirty linen from the company's past dealings.

Advanced Usage

• "to wash/air one's dirty linen in public": This is the most common idiomatic usage. It means to discuss or argue about one's private and embarrassing problems in front of other people.
  • The couple's constant fighting at the party was a classic case of washing their dirty linen in public.

Variants and Related Words

• Dirty laundry: This is a direct synonym and is used interchangeably with "dirty linen" in modern English, especially in American English.
  • The newspaper article exposed all the politician's dirty laundry.

Synonyms

• Skeletons in the closet: Hidden secrets that could cause embarrassment.
• Secrets: Private or concealed information.
• Scandal: An action or event that is morally or legally wrong and causes public outrage.

Related Idioms

• Air one's dirty laundry/linen in public: (As defined in Advanced Usage).
• Skeleton in the closet/cupboard: A shameful or embarrassing secret from one's past that is kept hidden.

Noun

1. personal matters that could be embarrassing if made public