What Is an Oxymoron?
9. Open Secret
A secret is information that you don’t tell to other people, or at least keep it limited to a select few. Some people are just not good at keeping secrets, however, feeling compelled to tell other people at the very first opportunity they get. Once a secret has become public knowledge, it is no longer a secret, although it might become an “open secret.”
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The term is oxymoronic but is still used quite often. It is used to describe something that has not been confirmed, and is even denied, but is still well-known by others. For example, it might be an “open secret” that two people are dating each other, despite them trying to prevent other people from finding out.
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