pseudosecret

English

Etymology

pseudo- +‎ secret

Noun

pseudosecret (plural pseudosecrets)

1. A supposed secret that is not actually secret; open secret.
   • 1983, Frank Kermode, Essays on Fiction: 1971-82, page 147:

     For a real secret he substitutes a pseudosecret, though in doing so he cannot help telling the attentive reader that there is a secret there.

   • 2000, Linda Berg Cross, Basic Concepts in Family Therapy, page 159:

     Thus, pseudosecrets can also become a way of maintaining generational and sexual boundaries in the family.

   • 2007, John Brady Kiesling, Diplomacy Lessons:

     Diplomats succeed by appealing to the better side of human nature, to shared interests and values, and to shared culture and humanity, and shared pseudosecrets are an excellent way to break the ice.