bedpost

a notch in (someone's) bedpost

A casual sexual partner, especially a one-night stand, counted as a tally in the overall number of someone's sexual partners. Janet was never interested in a serious boyfriend during college; she was only looking for notches in her bedpost. So is that all I am to you, John? A notch in your bedpost?
See also: bedpost, notch

a notch on (someone's) bedpost

A casual sexual partner, especially a one-night stand, counted as a tally in the overall number of someone's sexual partners. Janet was never interested in a serious boyfriend during college; she was only looking for notches on her bedpost. So is that all I am to you, John? A notch on your bedpost?
See also: bedpost, notch, on

between you, (and) me, and the bedpost

What is going to be or has been said should not be told to anyone else. This phrase is usually said along with information that needs to be kept secret. I overheard the boss talking to her secretary last night and—just between you, me, and the bedpost—she's giving the promotion to George after all. Between you and me and the bedpost, Stephanie is not as qualified for this job as she claims to be.
See also: and, bedpost, between

between you, me, and the lamppost

In complete confidence between the speaker and the listener, as of a forthcoming secret or rumor. Now, this is between you, me, and the lamppost, but I'm thinking about filing for divorce. Between you, me, and the lamppost, I hear that they're going to lay off half the staff by the end of the week.
See also: and, between, lamppost
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

between you (and) me and the bedpost

 and between you and me and these four walls
Fig. a somewhat affected way of signaling that you are about to tell a secret. Alan: What's wrong with Ellen these days? She seems so touchy. Jane: Between you and me and the bedpost, I've heard that her boyfriend is seeing someone else. Jill: How much did you get for your used car? Jane: Well—between you and me and these four walls—five thousand dollars.
See also: and, bedpost, between
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

between you and me

Also, between ourselves; just between you and me and the bedpost or four walls or gatepost or lamppost . In strict confidence. For example, Just between you and me, it was Janet who proposed to Bill rather than vice versa. This phrase, dating from about 1300, is generally followed by some informative statement that the listener is being asked to keep secret. The variant with bedpost, also shortened to post, dates from the early 1800s; four walls, also shortened to the wall, dates from the early 1900s, as does the gatepost.
See also: and, between
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

between you, me and the bedpost

or

between you, me and the gatepost

If you say that something you say is between you, me and the bedpost or between you, me and the gatepost, you mean that the person you are talking to should not tell anyone else what you have said. Between you, me and the bedpost, I'd say he was completely confused. Between you, me and the gatepost, he'd be better off without her. Note: People also sometimes use fencepost instead of bedpost. That's my opinion, between you, me and the fencepost.
See also: and, bedpost, between
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

between you and me and the bedpost (or the gatepost or the wall)

in strict confidence. informal
The bedpost , gatepost , or wall is seen as marking the boundary beyond which the confidence must not go.
See also: and, bedpost, between
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

between you, me, and the lamppost

and between you, me, and the bedpost
phr. just between you and me. Between you, me, and the lamppost, things are going to get worse before they get better. It’s supposed to be a secret, but between you, me, and the bedpost, he quit his job.
See also: and, between, lamppost

between you, me, and the bedpost

verb
See between you, me, and the lamppost
See also: and, bedpost, between
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

between you and me and the bedpost/gatepost/four walls/lamppost

In strictest confidence. This elaboration of just between you and me is often followed by gossip about someone else. The bedpost version dates from the early nineteenth century and was used by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (Eugene Aram, 1832: “Between you and me and the bedpost, young master has quarrelled with old master”), Dickens, and others. The lamppost version may be a little older, but is not much heard anymore.
See also: and, bedpost, between, four, gatepost, lamppost, wall
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a notch in (someone's) bedpost
  • a notch on (someone's) bedpost
  • piece of snatch
  • biblical
  • (but) not in the biblical sense
  • have (sexual) relations (with someone)
  • have relations with
  • relation
  • sexual
  • sexual relations
References in periodicals archive
Audience members can expect upgrades in this new facility, which features extra bathrooms, a larger square footage of space, more parking, limited pre-purchased seating, and a press box; all while maintaining the intimate setting that a BedPost Confessions storytelling show requires.
BedPost Confessions: The Popular Storytelling Show is Moving to Ironwood Hall
He later became better known for novelty hits such as My Old Man's A Dustman and Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Favour On The Bedpost Overnight?
Donegan left just pounds 82,000
When she finally convinces him to unmask, however, Trish flees the seduction, refusing to become another notch on the notorious actor's bedpost. Terribly intrigued, Ty becomes determined to find his way into Trish's life and heart.
Cutting Loose
Medieval lore urged unmarried women to tie a holly sprig to the bedpost to avoid being turned into a witch, and it was said that a young girl would dream of her future husband if she tied nine holly leaves in a three-cornered handkerchief and did not speak until dawn.
The festive American holly. (In profile)
The words Hort auf zu malen--"Stop painting"--are smeared over an impulsively crossed-out bed, with Beuys's signature hat hung on the bedpost. Like Brecht's Erst kommt das Fressen ("Grub comes first"), Immendorff's injunction analogizing paintings and potatoes signaled a determination to make art that was humanly useful in some basic way.
JORG IMMENDORFF
The first thing Chris Kirk did after she left an 18-year tenure at Arthur Andersen was to get a tattoo on her foot--the figure of a Native American symbol known as "Dream Catcher." That artifact, traditionally hung on a bedpost, is said to deliver up good dreams to the Great Spirit while incinerating bad ones.
The Stuff of Dreams
Donegan, aged 69, whose hits included Does Your Chewing Gum Loose Its Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight, My Old Man's A Dustman and Puttin' On The Style, said: 'If I'm honest I'm experiencing a mixture of feelings.
Skiffle king puts on the royal style
When the fitting procedure is complete, drill pilot holes (7/32") through the bedpost into the ends of the braces (figure 4).
Walking the willow
This vitality stems from the unusual compositional method: rather than choreographing the piece from start to finish, Taylor solicited chunks of material from six of the company's dancers that he then "amended and combined," as the program puts it, in addition to choosing the loony songs that accompany them--"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight)," and the like.
Funny Papers
Which playing card is known as "The Devil's Bedpost"?
QUICK
Eventually a Walford woman becomes another notch on Grant's bedpost.
Grant and Phil-ander; We loveSOAPS love
Fraile claims celebrity notches on Iglesias's bedpost included Priscilla Presley, Bianca Jagger and model Debbie Dickinson.
Julio: To Half the Girls I've Loved Before
"I have a lot of notches on my bedpost but nobody will find them all out""US actress Courtney Love, who is writing her memoirs.
TODAY'S QUOTES
The friend said that Ashley decided to change his phone number and scrap his BlackBerry messaging, as he wants his next girl to be a serious girlfriend and not just another notch on his bedpost.
Ashley Cole changes number to avoid exes
One girl who seemed desperate to be a notch on Leo's bedpost spilt a drink over him before planting a smacker on his lips.
DO KEEP UP! ViP