Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs by Knowles Elizabeth;

Author:Knowles, Elizabeth;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Published: 2016-08-25T16:00:00+00:00

Secrecy

While it may be desirable to keep information confidential (Don’t ask, don’t tell, One does not wash one’s dirty linen in public), it is likely to be difficult: Fields have eyes and woods have ears.

The day has eyes, the night has ears.

there is always someone watching or listening; traditional saying.

Dead men tell no tales.

often used to imply that a person’s knowledge of a secret will die with them; English proverb, mid 17th century.

Don’t ask, don’t tell.

summary of the Clinton administration’s compromise policy on homosexuals serving in the armed forces, as described by Sam Nunn (1938– ) in May 1993.

Fields have eyes and woods have ears.

one may always be spied on by unseen watchers or listeners; English proverb, early 13th century.

Listeners never hear good of themselves.

English proverb, mid 17th century.

Little pitchers have large ears.

children overhear what is not meant for them (a pitcher’s ears are its handles); English proverb, mid 16th century.

Never tell tales out of school.

a warning against indiscretion; English proverb, mid 16th century.

No names, no pack drill.

if nobody is named as being responsible, nobody can be blamed or punished (pack drill = a military punishment of walking up and down carrying full equipment); English proverb, early 20th century; the expression is now used generally to express an unwillingness to provide detailed information.

One does not wash one’s dirty linen in public.

discreditable matters should be dealt with privately; English proverb, early 19th century.

A secret is either too good to keep or too bad not to tell.

American proverb, mid 20th century.

See all your best work go unnoticed.

advertisement for staff for MI5, 2005.

Those who hide can find.

those who have concealed something know where it is to be found; English proverb, early 15th century.

Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

the only way to keep a secret is to tell no one else; English proverb, mid 16th century.

Walls have ears.

care should be taken for possible eavesdroppers; English proverb, late 16th century.

What is done by night appears by day.

secrets are likely to be revealed; English proverb.

Will the real — please stand up?

catchphrase from an American TV game show (1955–66) in which a panel was asked to identify the ‘real’ one of three candidates all claiming to be a particular person; after the guesses were made, the compère would request the ‘real’ candidate to stand up.

You can’t hide an awl in a sack.

some things are too conspicuous to hide; Russian proverb.

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