skeleton at the feast
- idiom
- Literature
:
esqueleto en la fiesta
- The unresolved argument was the skeleton at the feast in an otherwise cheerful family dinner.
Examples
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Unfortunately, news of the layoffs became the skeleton at the feast during the company party.
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Their financial troubles were a constant skeleton at the feast at every celebration.
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Her constant negativity was a skeleton at the feast during the celebration.
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The skeleton at the feast of his past mistakes haunted the joyous occasion.
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The unresolved conflict felt like a skeleton at the feast during their wedding celebration.
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Her absence was a lingering skeleton at the feast that overshadowed the festive atmosphere.
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The lingering sadness over their recent loss turned the anniversary party into a skeleton at the feast.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A person or thing that ruins the fun at a party
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
skeleton + at + the + feast
The juxtaposition of 'skeleton' (death, morbidity) with 'feast' (a celebration) gives a clear metaphorical contrast, so a learner who knows both words can likely infer there's a morbid or unwelcome presence at a celebration. However the precise pragmatic meaning — that a person or issue overshadows and spoils an otherwise joyful occasion — is a metaphorical/literary extension and not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom skeleton at the feast comes from the strong picture of a skeleton sitting at a happy feast and making everyone feel shocked and uneasy. That's why it means 'a disturbing presence' that 'spoils' an otherwise joyful occasion.