• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Expression “Skeletons In the Closet” Originate and What Does the Saying Mean?

Where Did the Expression “Skeletons In the Closet” Originate and What Does the Saying Mean?

February 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

The expression about skeletons in a closet comes from a fairy tale about Bluebeard the pirate, who, legend has it, murdered all his many wives.

When he gave his new wife the keys to the house, he forbade her to open a specific closet at the end of a long hall, which, of course, she did the moment he left on business.

When she unlocked the door and looked inside, she was horrified to find all the skeletons of Bluebeard’s previous wives.

We say people have “skeletons in their closets” when they hide their past.

Related Facts

  • What Does the Expression "Taken Down a Peg" Mean and How Did the Saying Originate?
  • What Does the Expression "Gone By the Board" Mean and Where Did the Saying Originate?
  • How Did the Expression "Rings True" For Something Honest Originate and What Does the Saying Mean?
  • What Does the Expression "Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be" Mean and How Did the Saying Originate?
  • What Does the Expression "Keep Danger At Bay" Mean and How Did the Saying Originate?
  • What Does the Saying "Loaded For Bear" Mean and Where Did the Expression Originate?
  • What Does the Saying Started At Pudding and Ended At Pie Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?
  • Where Did the Expression "Got His Goat" Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?
  • Where Did the Expression "The Apple of My Eye" Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?
  • Where Did the Expression "Face the Music" Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?
  • What Does the Saying "Passed With Flying Colors" Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?
  • Where Did the Expression "Speak of the Devil" Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where Did the Phrase “On the Lam” When On the Run Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?
Next Post: How Did the Phrase “Strike While the Iron is Hot” Originate and What Does the Expression Mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy