What does the idiom "Spill the beans" mean?

You are wondering about the meaning of the phrase Spill the beans, maybe you heard it in a TV show, movie or theater play. Although this idiom is not used very often, it enriches your capacity of expression and strengthens communication. In which case is the expression Spill the beans used and what is its meaning?

Meaning of "Spill the beans"

Meaning

The phrase “spill the beans” is an idiomatic expression which means to reveal a secret. It is usually used to urge someone to divulge information that they are not supposed to share with others. It implies that in revealing the secret, the person is letting out the secret “beans” from a hidden container.

Etymology

The expression “spill the beans” has its origins in Ancient Greece. In the 5th century BC, the Ancient Greeks used beans as a part of their voting system. During the voting process, each voter was presented with several colored beans and he or she was supposed to vote by placing the beans into an urn. If a voter wanted to change their vote, they had to “spill the beans” by withdrawing one of the beans from the urn, thus revealing their choice to the other voters.

It is not clear when the phrase first started being used in its current sense to mean “revealing a secret”. The earliest known record of it being used in this way can be found in the 1832 novel “The Irish Heiress” by Lady Morgan (Sydney Owenson). In the book, a character refers to a gossiping woman as a “spiller of beans”.

Usage

The phrase “spill the beans” is used to urge someone to reveal a secret or piece of information that they are not supposed to share with others. It is often used as a way of pressuring someone to tell the truth, such as in the following example:

“Come on, tell us what happened. We know you know, so just spill the beans!”

It can also be used as a way of asking someone to reveal something in a joking manner, or to make fun of someone who is behaving in a secretive or suspicious way. For example:

“What are you hiding, huh? Spill the beans!”

Example Sentences

  • Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Just spill the beans and I promise I’ll keep it to myself.

The meanings of the words in the "Spill the beans" idiom

The universal role of idioms

"Kill two birds with one stone" is an English idiom that means to accomplish two things with a single action. In French, the similar idiom is "Faire d'une pierre deux coups," which translates to "To kill two birds with one stone." This idiom highlights the efficiency of completing two tasks with one action.

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