“Do not wash your dirty linen in public”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase means that one should not discuss private, embarrassing, or sensitive issues in public, especially regarding personal or family matters.
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Where it comes from
The phrase is believed to have originated in France and made its way into English usage in the 19th century. It is a metaphorical expression where dirty linen symbolizes personal affairs that one might not want to expose to public scrutiny.
Examples
- They decided not to discuss their financial disagreements at the dinner party, remembering the saying, ‘Do not wash your dirty linen in public.’
- When the team started arguing loudly in the meeting, the manager reminded them, ‘Let’s not wash our dirty linen in public. We’ll deal with this later.’
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