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| Bare one's heart (or soul) | If you bare your heart or soul to someone, you
reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them. "John couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend." |
| Don't beat around the bush |
This expression is used to tell somebody to say what they have to say,
clearly and directly, even if it's unpleasant. |
| Call a spade a spade | A person who
calls a spade a spade speaks openly and truthfully
about something, especially difficult matters. "What I like about the new manager is that he calls a spade a spade - it makes things so much easier for everyone." |
| Put/lay one's cards on the table | If you put your cards on the table, you speak
honestly and openly about your feelings and intentions. "Let's clear the air and put our cards on the table." |
| Clear the air |
If you decide to clear the air, you try to remove the causes of
fear, worry or suspicion by talking about them openly. "The atmosphere had become so unpleasant that he decided it was time to clear the air." |
| Come clean. | To come clean about something means to tell the
truth. "The suspect eventually decided to come clean and admit what he did." |
| Economical with the truth | To say that a person is economical with the truth means that,
without actually lying, they omit important facts or give incomplete information. "The politician was accused of being economical with the truth." |
| Hidden agenda | If a person or organization has a hidden agenda, they have hidden interests or ulterior motives. "I can guarantee that we have no hidden agenda. Our intentions have always been clear." |
| Home truths | If you tell somebody some home truths, you tell them some
unpleasant facts about themselves which are often difficult to accept. "David needs to be told a few home truths, whether he likes it or not!" |
| In vino veritas |
This expression, which in Latin means "in wine there is truth", is
a way of saying that wine makes people less inhibited and leads them to speak more freely and reveal their true feelings. "After a few drinks he told the whole story - in vino veritas!" |
| Make no bones about something | If you make no bones
about something, you don't hesitate to say something in a frank and open way. "I made no bones about it. I told him his offer was unacceptable." |
| On the level |
If you say that somebody is on the level, you are referring to a
truthful and honest person. "Tell me straight : Is he on the level on not?" |
| Open the
kimono |
If a person or organization opens the kimono, they reveal
something previously hidden. "It's time to open the kimono and explain that we cannot meet the deadline. |
| Pull no punches | When someone pulls no punches, they speak openly and honestly,
holding nothing back. "The doctor pulled no punches. He explained in detail the risks of the operation. |
| Put words in somebody's mouth |
If you claim, wrongly, that someone has said something, or suggest what they should say, you are putting words in their mouth. "You're putting words in my mouth. I did not say I saw Mr. Brown; I said I saw his car!" |
| Words of one syllable | If you explain something in words of one syllable, you use very
simple language. "No so fast! Tell me in words of one syllable." |
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