[spill] the beans
1
to reveal a secret that one was asked not to tell anyone
The idiom "spill the beans" originated from ancient Greek voting practices, where a secret ballot involved using differently colored beans. A container held the beans, and when it was time to count the votes, the container would be overturned, revealing the colored beans and thus disclosing the outcome. It is now used to convey the idea of accidentally letting out a secret or breaking silence on a matter that was meant to be kept hidden or unknown.
- Sarah was planning a surprise party for her friend, but she accidentally spilled the beans when she mentioned it in front of him.
- The detective interrogated the suspect, hoping they would spill the beans about their involvement in the crime.
- John couldn't keep a secret and always ended up spilling the beans about surprises his friends had planned for others.
- The journalist promised to protect their source's identity but ended up spilling the beans during a live interview.
- The company's CEO accidentally spilled the beans about their upcoming merger during a casual conversation, causing a frenzy in the business world.
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