between you, me, and the bedpost

English

Alternative forms

• between you and me and the bedpost, between you, me and the bedpost, between you, me, and the fencepost, between you, me, and the gatepost, between you, me, and the lamppost, between you, me, and the post

Etymology

Humorous emphatic form of between you and me, by anthropomorphizing an (ostensibly mute) bedpost. Compare dumb as a post.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Prepositional phrase

between you, me, and the bedpost

1. (idiomatic) between you and me
   • 1832, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Eugene Aram::

     Between you and me and the bed-post – young master’s quarrelled with old master.

Related terms

• dumb as a post

Translations

humorously emphatic expression of "in confidence"

• Scottish Gaelic: eadar dà sgeul is dà chluas a' chlobha (literally “between two stories and the two handles of the tongs”), eadar dhà sgeulachd agus beul a' chlobha (literally “between two stories and the mouth of the tongs”), is ann ris na cnuic a tha mi ga ràdh (literally “I am saying it to the hills”)

References

• Gary Martin (1997–) “Between you, me and the bedpost”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.