Dig up dirt

Meaning

The idiom "dig up dirt" is used to describe the act of gathering information, usually negative or embarrassing, about someone or something. It can also mean to uncover hidden or concealed information.

Usage

• The journalist dug up dirt on the politician's past scandals to expose them in her article.
• My friend accidentally dug up dirt on his boss at the office party, which caused a lot of drama.
• I can't believe my siblings dig up dirt on me every chance they get.
• The hacker successfully dug up dirt on the company's secret project, causing them to shut down their servers immediately.
• When you're playing hide and seek, it's hard to find someone if they know how to dig up dirt in the backyard.

Roots and History

The origin of the idiom "dig up dirt" is not entirely clear, but one theory suggests that it comes from the practice of digging up the soil in a garden to find hidden insect pests or other problems. This practice was often used by farmers and gardeners to ensure healthy crops, and it may have been extended to the idea of uncovering hidden information about people or things. Another theory is that the idiom comes from the practice of digging up dead bodies to perform autopsies or other forensic investigations.

Synonyms in English

• Dredge up dirt
• Unearth dirt
• Scour for dirt
• Uncover dirt
• Root out dirt

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "buscar el suelo" (to search the ground)
• French: "digger dans la terre" (to dig up the earth)
• German: "die Erde aufsuchen" (to search the soil)
• Italian: "scavare il terreno" (to dig up the ground)
• Portuguese: "buscar no solo" (to search the ground)

Similar Idioms

• discretion is the greater part of valour

• drop dead

• fan the flames