a coined variation and intensification of
skeleton in the closet, meaning a dark
secret or withheld
source of
shame or disgrace; a hidden
source of
grief,
anxiety,
fear or annoyance. The latter
phrase came into
use in the mid-1800s and although the
origin is unknown, it alludes to a
situation where a person has been murdered and the
body has been hidden in a closet unbeknownst to others.