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Skeleton in the Closet Origin

The morbid idiom 'skeleton in the closet' is commonly understood metaphorically, but its historical origin is often remembered more literally than it was.

What People Remember

Many believe the phrase 'skeleton in the closet' literally originated from people commonly hiding skeletons in their homes for various secret or macabre reasons.

What's Actually True

The idiom likely originated from the literal, but less common, practice of doctors or anatomists illegally hiding human skeletons in their homes for study during a time when it was forbidden, later evolving into a metaphor for a hidden shameful secret.

Tags

#idiom#saying#origin#language#history#secret

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