Chapter One: 🤐 Mum’s the Word: The Art of Keeping Secrets 🤐
Definition: To keep a secret; to refrain from revealing something.
Origin: This seemingly modern slang phrase was used by Shakespeare—“Seal up your lips, and give no words but—mum” (Henry VI, Part 2, 1.2)—as well as numerous earlier writers. The word mum has meant silent since about 1350 and comes from the imitative sound made when one’s lips are closed (a kind of hum). The actual locution “Mum’s the word” appears in print over and over from about 1700.
Synonyms & Similar Phrases 🌟
- Keep it under wraps
- My lips are sealed
- Button your lip
- Don’t spill the beans
- Can’t tell a soul
- Play it close to the chest
- Keep it hush-hush
- Zip it
Antonyms 🙊
- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Blow the whistle
- Spread the word
- Gossip
Humor-filled Quotes 🤣
- “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.” – Benjamin Franklin
- “To keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.” – George Orwell
- “Nothing weighs on us so heavily as a secret.” – Jean de La Fontaine
References in Literature & Media 📚🎬
- Books:
- “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton
- “Can You Keep a Secret?” by Sophie Kinsella
- Movies:
- “National Treasure” where secrets are the very foundation of the story.
- “Shutter Island” — sometimes keeping secrets results in bigger twists.
- Songs:
- “Secret” by OneRepublic
- “Tell Me a Secret” by Adina Howard
Intriguing Tidbits 🧠
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The phrase “Loose lips sink ships” emerged in World War II as part of U.S. propaganda to stop inadvertent information leaks.
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Shakespeare used the notion of silence and keeping secrets not just in Henry VI, Part 2, but sprinkled it into many of his plays, showing how universal this concept is.
Inspirational Thought-Provoking Farewell: “Secrets have held kingdoms and friendships both together and apart. Understand their power, but as you go on, remember: choose wisely which secrets you keep and which you share.”
Author: E. Nigma Wordsworth
Publishing Date: 2023-10-01
