40 Honesty Flashcards
Keep sth from sb
Avoid telling sb sth.
My grandma was very ill , but the rest of the family keep the truth from her.
Spare sb’s feelings
Be careful not to do or say anything that may upset sb.
I didn’t tell my mum the truth because I wanted to spare her feelings.
Let on (to sb / about sth) INF
Talk about sth that is intended to be a secret.
I knew they were getting married but I didn’t let on to anyone.
Lose face
Be regarded by others as stupid or wrong as a result of sth you have said or done.
( If you save face, you avoid being regarded as stupid or wrong)
Joe couldn’t read or write, but he told people he’d forgotten his glasses because he didn’t want to lose face/ he wanted to save face.
Face up to sth
Accept and deal with sth that is difficult or unpleasant.
I realized that I just couldn’t face up to the truth about my addiction.
Come to light
Become known to people .
People will be very angry if this information comes to light.
Cover sth up
Hush sth up
These phrasal verbs refer to action taken to hide the truth about something bad,illegal,embarrassing,etc.
It was a scandal in the village. They tried to hush/ cover it up , but everyone knew.
Scared to death
INF
Very frightened.
Also: scare sb to death: make sb very frightened
SYN:
Scare the life/the living daylights out of sb (INF)
I was scared to death of telling the truth about my past; I know people would disapprove.
Go (as) red as a beetroot
Have red cheeks because you are embarrassed
When I mentioned Claude’s name, Pam went red as a beetroot.
Give the game away
Reveal sth that is intended to be a secret (often by accident)
Of course,as soon as she mentioned your name, she gave the game away.
Have sth on your conscience
Feel guilty because of sth you did or didn’t do.
He wouldn’t lie because he’d have it on his conscience.
Live with sth
Accept sth unpleasant that you cannot change.
His wife will never come back, and he finds that very difficult to live with.
When it comes to (doing) sth
On the subject of sth.
When it comes to helping others,my parents are fantastic.
Gloss over sth
Ignore sth or avoid saying sth,or treat it as unimportant.
It’s not very sensible to gloss over the facts.
A pack of lies
INF
A story that is completely untrue.
That girl told me a pack of lies.
