No one likes to lean, well maybe some people. In some cases, people will throw their clothes under their bed, or a closet is a favorite place to hid clothes and junk when you don’t want people to see it. People don’t like to clean, but they don’t like to see the dirt and disorganization.
People especially do not want other people to see their dirt and messy lifestyle and they go to great lengths to hid it. This is one of those idioms who figurative meaning appears internationally and for the most past shares the same meaning.
Meaning:
When you sweep something under the rug or under the carpet, a person attempts to hid something embarrassing from others. Instead of dealing with the issue or embarrassing issue the person goes to great effort to conceal it.
Example of “Sweep under”:
- Shawn was cheating on his girlfriend and he was going crazy trying to sweep the affair under the rug.
- The Congressman attempted to avoid answering questions about allegations he took kickbacks and that he was trying to sweep it all under the rug instead of coming clean.
Dialog:
Ross: Gunther, please tell me you haven’t spoken to Brenda and told her you saw me with that girl last night.
Gunther: Ross you dog! Congrats bro, that girl is one sweet piece of ass!
Ross: Gunther I don’t care about the girl, I was drunk. Please, please tell me you didn’t say anything to Brenda!
Gunther: Relax man. No worries, I haven’t said anything to my cuz, Branda.
Ross: Thank you! Please don’t. I made a mistake and thought we were on a break, but she wants to get back together and she will flip her wig if she knows I hooked up with that girl
Gunther: Ok, got it. Monogamy is just not for guys like you and me. Listen Bro, you can’t just sweep this under the rug, there were many other of her friends there.
Ross: No. Like who. Oh my god. What am I going to do? If she finds out she is going to kill me!
Gunther: Chill out. You need to lift the rug, let her see the dirt and then clean it up with the broom of honesty.
Other words you can create: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc. (ex: mug – mugger)
Conceal
Hide
Secret
Harbor
Withhold
Conspiracy
Evasion
Camouflage
Concealment
Suppress
Scandal
Incriminating
Collocations:
He is trying tosweep it under the rug.
Related phrasal verbs:
Cover up
When we use this phrase in the context of sweep under the rug we are saying that someone is hiding information.
- It seems that the President is covering up information and hoping everything will just be swept under the carpet.
Keep quiet
When someone keeps something quiet someone will remain silent about information they have that might be incriminating again someone else.
- He is keeping quiet and not saying anything about his arrest and is agent is trying to sweep the news under the carpet.
Keep secret
When we keep something a secret we hid and conceal information.
- Fred asked me to keep what I know a secret and wants everyone to just sweep his financial woes under the carpet.
Keep something to yourself
When we use this phrase in the context of sweep under the rug, someone refuses to disclose or share information they know.
- I hope she keeps what she heard to herself and wait for everything to be swept under the rug.
Keep back
In the context of sweep under the rug information is not provided or only some information that is not the whole truth.
- I would suggest that you keep back as much information as possible about your divorce and let everything be swept under the carpet with the fake news.
Related idioms:
Stone wall – when we stone wall we delay or reuse to answer questions and instead try to spin information in an effort to avoid information from becoming public.
Keep under wraps – means keep, hide or suppress information.
Hush-up – means to keep quiet about something.
Placing under wraps – this is a little different that keep something under wraps. When we place something under wraps we design and create a situation that keeps information concealed.
Keep under your hat – to hide and not reveal information publicly.
Synonyms (other ways to say):
Sweep something under the carpet.
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