air one's dirty laundry in public

English

Alternative forms

• wash one's dirty linen in public
• wash one's dirty laundry in public
• air one's dirty linen in public

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

air one's dirty laundry in public (third-person singular simple present airs one's dirty laundry in public, present participle airing one's dirty laundry in public, simple past and past participle aired one's dirty laundry in public)

1. (figuratively) to reveal one's secrets to the public.

Translations

Translations

• Czech: prát špinavé prádlo na veřejnosti
• Dutch: de vuile was buiten hangen
• Finnish: puida julkisesti, pestä likapyykkiä julkisesti
• French: laver son linge sale en public (fr)
• Greek: τα εν οίκω μη εν δήμω (el) (ta en oíko mi en dímo)
• Italian: i panni sporchi si lavano in famiglia (literally “do not air your dirty laundry in public”)
• Polish: ujawniać (pl) impf, ujawnić (pl) pf, prać brudy impf
• Romanian: spăla rufele murdare în public
• Russian: выноси́ть сор из избы́ (ru) (vynosítʹ sor iz izbý)
• Spanish: sacar los trapitos al sol

See also

• wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Further reading

• “wash your dirty linen in public”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “air wash your dirty linen laundry in public” (US) / “air wash your dirty linen laundry in public” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “air ones dirty laundry in public”, in Collins English Dictionary.