chamber

blue chamber

A room that all but the owner are forbidden entry into. The term takes its name from the French fable of "Blue Beard," who stores the bodies of his murdered former wives in a locked chamber in his castle. My wife has something of a blue chamber in the house; it's always locked, and she'll never tell me what's inside.
See also: blue, chamber

chamber of commerce

A humorous name for the bathroom. I'll be right back, I just have to stop in the chamber of commerce before the movie starts.
See also: chamber, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

chamber of commerce

n. toilet; restroom. Q: Where’s Bob? A: Oh, Bob’s in the chamber of commerce.
See also: chamber, of
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

star chamber

An unfair, secret judicial proceeding. This term comes from a criminal court developed in England in the 1400s in which the King’s Council acted as judges in certain procedures. They met in the Star Chamber of the royal palace at Westminster, believed to have been named for the gilded stars decorating its ceiling, and were notorious for their harsh decisions and punishments. This court was abolished in 1621, but its name later was transferred to similar proceedings. In the late l990s, when Kenneth Starr was serving as independent counsel in the investigation of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, some pundits played on the term, alluding to “Mr. Starr’s chamber.”
See also: chamber, star
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • blue chamber
  • forbidden fruit is the sweetest
  • beard-splitter
  • Aaron's beard
  • beard
  • sky is falling, the
  • pull the chestnuts out of the fire, to
  • have a fable for (something)
  • fungus
  • fight like Kilkenny cats
References in classic literature
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore; Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -- Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -- Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning -- little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -- Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as "Nevermore."
Poems
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door-- Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted--nevermore!
Raven
It was the buried chamber in which was hidden the Great Secret of the race of Mahars.
And of a sudden, apropos of nothing, standing there alone in the secret chamber of the Mahars of Pellucidar, I realized that I loved Dian the Beautiful.
At the Earths Core
Before leaving the pavilion at five o'clock, did you go into your chamber?
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
Instantly the door swung upon its pivot, and the contiguous section of the floor upon which I was standing carried me with it into the chamber where Tars Tarkas fought.
The Gods of Mars
But Gahan had already crossed the room and entered the chamber beyond.
The Chessmen of Mars
A distinct draft of fresh air was blowing into the chamber through the intersection of the masonry at that particular point--and nowhere else.
The Return of Tarzan
I recalled the incident of the Chamber of Mystery in the Golden Cliffs that time I had freed Thuvia of Ptarth from the dungeon of the therns, and she had taken a slender, needle-like key from the keyring of her dead jailer to open the door leading back into the Chamber of Mystery where Tars Tarkas fought for his life with the great banths.
Warlord of Mars
She cast a frightened look around the chamber. It seemed to her as though she beheld advancing from all quarters towards her, with the intention of crawling up her body and biting and pinching her, all those hideous implements of torture, which as compared to the instruments of all sorts she had hitherto seen, were like what bats, centipedes, and spiders are among insects and birds.
Notre Dame de Paris
At two in the morning Boxtel saw Rosa leaving the chamber; but evidently she held in her arms something which she carried with great care.
The Black Tulip
As he closed the door of my chamber behind him his thoughts were cut off from me as was the sight of him, which seemed strange to me in my little knowledge of thought transference.
Princess of Mars
Chambers was strong beyond his years, and a good fighter; strong because he was coarsely fed and hard worked about the house, and a good fighter because Tom furnished him plenty of practice-- on white boys whom he hated and was afraid of.
Puddnhead Wilson