Skeleton in the Closet

What it means

An embarrassing secret from the past that you would rather nobody found.

Where it comes from

British English keeps it in the cupboard. The phrase appears in the early 1800s, and the suggestion that it refers to families hiding a real skeleton bought for anatomy study has never been proved.

The puzzle it came from

Skeleton in the Closet was the answer to the Phrasicle of October 31, 2025. The clue read ____ in the ____, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.

Play today's Phrasicle Play the October 31, 2025 puzzle