draw a veil over, to
draw a veil over
Conceal or avoid discussing something; keep from public knowledge. For example, Louise drew a veil over the accounting errors. [c. 1700]
See also: draw, over, veil
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
draw a veil over
avoid discussing or calling attention to something, especially because it is embarrassing or unpleasant.See also: draw, over, veil
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
draw a veil over, to
To conceal; to say no more about something. A cliché from the mid-nineteenth century, this analogy to hiding one’s face behind a veil is often used to gloss over the details of an embarrassing situation. Daniel Defoe, long known as a historian before he turned his hand to fiction, wrote in The True-born Englishman (1701), “Satyr, be kind! and draw a silent Veil! Thy native England’s vices to conceal.”
See also: draw, veil
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- take the veil
- draw a veil over
- draw a veil over (something)
- draw a veil over something
- cast a veil over (something)
- cast/draw/throw a veil over something
- throw a veil over (something)
- lift the veil (on something)
- veil
- beyond the veil