A British variation of the familiar idiom 'skeleton in the closet' (or cupboard), referring to a shameful family secret — something embarrassing, scandalous, or morally compromising that people prefer to keep hidden. The 'house' variant was more common in 19th and early 20th century British usage before 'closet' became dominant. The image is of a hidden skeleton: a secret so dark it metaphorically never rots away and can resurface at any moment to cause embarrassment or scandal.
Every old family has a skeleton in the house, and the Hartleys were no exception.
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(UK, dated) A shameful secret.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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