Idiom
Spill the beans
To spill the beans is to tell a secret or reveal information too early, often by accident.
How people use it
People spill the beans about surprise parties, gifts, plot twists, test questions and news that was supposed to stay private: Who spilled the beans about the promotion? It can be accidental or on purpose. It is informal and playful. Spill the beans on something and spill the beans about something are both used. A newer, similar phrase is spill the tea, which means sharing gossip, and let the cat out of the bag is an older relative.
Examples
- Leo spilled the beans about the surprise party when he asked Mom what she planned to wear.
- Don't spill the beans about the ending; I haven't finished the book.
- The coach finally spilled the beans and told us who would be captain.
Where it comes from
No one knows for sure. A popular story says it comes from ancient Greek voting, where beans were dropped into a jar and spilling the jar revealed the result early, but there is no evidence linking that practice to the English phrase. Spill has meant to let out information since the 1500s, and spill the beans itself appears in American English in the early 1900s.
Check yourself
1. If your sister spills the beans about your gift, what happens?
Answer: She tells you what it is before you open it. Spill the beans means reveal a secret.
2. Which statement about the origin is true?
Answer: The Greek bean voting story is not proven. There is no evidence linking ancient Greek bean voting to the English phrase.
Similar idioms
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