to open the kimono
1
9.9
- idiom
- Offensive
:
abrir el kimono (ofensivo)
- To gain support for the initiative, the team must open the kimono and share their research findings with stakeholders.
Examples
-
This guy's got to go is he wants to open the kimono and share the secret sauce with the Russians.
-
In order to secure the project, the CEO decided to open the kimono and disclose the company's financial strategy to the partners.
-
During the negotiation, he chose to open the kimono about the budget constraints to foster trust.
Synonyms
435
6.1
Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure
342
4.1
Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people
114
3.4
Tell a secret on purpose or by accident
45
6.2
To tell secret or private information to people
18
6.0
Tell a secret by accident before others know
7
4.0
Make something visible by removing a cover
5
5.1
To tell a secret that should be kept
2
4.4
To tell people about something secret
1
7.5
To tell everything about yourself, including private things
1
5.5
To tell a secret by accident and spoil a surprise
Antonyms
How Transparent
Surface Forms
Morphology
open + the + kimono
The phrase evokes the literal image of opening a garment (kimono) so there is a visible link between 'open' + 'kimono' and the idea of revealing something; however, mapping that image to the specific pragmatic sense 'reveal confidential/proprietary information' in business contexts is a cultural and metaphorical extension that a B1 learner who only knows the words is unlikely to predict. The expression is therefore partially compositional but requires prior exposure or cultural knowledge to reach the intended meaning.
Etymology
The idiom open the kimono comes from the picture of opening a kimono, a long Japanese robe, to show what is under it. One popular story says business people used that image to mean showing private papers or plans, so today it means 'to reveal private or secret information' in talks and deals.