secret of Polichinelle

English

Etymology

From French secret de Polichinelle, from a play by Pierre Wolff.

Noun

secret of Polichinelle (plural secrets of Polichinelle)

1. A supposed secret known to everyone.

   Synonym: open secret

   • 1915, Frederick Scott Oliver, Ordeal by Battle:

     In October and November 1910 there was a great secret of Polichinelle. Conceivably we may learn from some future historian even more about it than we knew at the time.

   • 1926, W. J. Thorold, Arthur Hornblow, Perriton Maxwell, Stewart Beach, editors, Theatre magazine, volumes 43-44:

     It is said that Polst fell because he revealed in an unlucky interview the Secret of Polichinelle, the secret which all the world knew, the secret that there was a claque at the Metropolitan Opera House.

   • 1992, Hyman Gross, Ross Harrison, Jurisprudence: Cambridge Essays:

     British public life specializes in an elegant variation of the secret of Polichinelle. After a secret is disclosed it may still be treated as if it were a secret.

Translations

secret known to everyone

• Finnish: julkinen salaisuus
• French: secret de Polichinelle (fr) m
• Hebrew: סוד גלוי m
• Italian: segreto di Pulcinella m
• Polish: tajemnica poliszynela (pl) f
• Russian: секре́т Полишине́ля (ru) m (sekrét Polišinɛ́lja), секре́т — на весь све́т m (sekrét — na vesʹ svét)

Further reading

• Pulcinella on Wikipedia.Wikipedia