The idiom “spill the beans” means to reveal a secret, either intentionally or accidentally. Its origins are uncertain, but it likely originated in the US in the early 20th century. The phrase is commonly used in American English and has entered mainstream usage in various contexts.
The English idiom “spill the beans” means “to divulge a secret”. People sometimes use this idiom to describe a situation where someone deliberately and maliciously reveals a secret, and the idiom can be used to refer to an accidental disclosure. The phrase is often used as “let the cat out of the bag,” another idiom that refers to releasing something that was previously hidden.
The origins of this idiom are quite interesting, for people who find themselves intrigued by the origins of words. According to folk etymology, the idiom is related to the voting system used in ancient Greece, in which people threw black and white beans or stones as a secret ballot. Knocking over the jar or basket used to collect votes before the outcome was decided would have been a classic case of spilling the beans. Sadly, while this explanation is quite intriguing, it’s probably not correct.
Another case of folk etymology states that the idiom refers to spilling beans during planting, causing a crop to grow unevenly. This explanation is even less likely, given that there is no clear connection between growing crops erratically and releasing information that is supposed to be secret, unless the spilled beans are themselves meant to be secret, and the sprouts of beans convey the secret.
Indeed, “spill the beans” first appeared in the United States in the early 20th century, suggesting that the idiom is of fairly recent origin, although “spill” in reference to spilling something dates back to the 20th century. The beans in this idiom might just be filler, given variations such as “spill the guts” to tell secrets, or just “spill” to talk about confidential material; beans are a well known item and many people have spilled beans while cooking at some point in their lives, so the idiom makes for a vivid image. This idiom is most commonly used in American English, reflecting its origins.
The phrase has entered the mainstream so completely that it appears in a variety of places. It is often used as a popular colloquialism in public interest stories, such as profiles of small-town cops who are skilled at getting suspects to spill the beans, and it is also used as a slang familiarity in some television series. People can also use it in casual conversation, especially when they want to tease someone for spilling the beans about something that was meant to be a surprise.
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