Francophonie· medium
y avoir anguille sous roche
“for there to be an eel under a rock”
Meaning
something is being deliberately kept hidden
Explanation
Something unwelcome is tucked away out of sight, or a fact is being kept quiet on purpose. Apt enough, given eels spend their time wedged into gaps nobody would think to look in.
Example
Il a refusé de répondre à la question, il y a anguille sous roche.
He refused to answer the question, so something's clearly being hidden.
Origin
Recorded from 1563. It adapts the Latin 'latet anguis in herba' (a snake lies hidden in the grass), which itself probably reworked an ancient Greek line about a scorpion lurking under every stone.
Source
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