What it means
Means to let a secret slip, whether by accident or because you just can't keep your mouth shut. Used for anything from surprise parties to office gossip. People sometimes link it to old-style voting with beans, where a spill could give the game away, but the main vibe is simple: you revealed the info too soon, and now everyone knows.
Usage examples
"We were two days out from the surprise party and you spilled the beans in the family group chat. Now Mum's acting shocked on purpose."
"Come on, spill the beans, who told you they were getting back together?"
"I was not meant to know about the party, but my little brother spilled the beans before I even sat down."
"Don't spill the beans yet, she's still on the train and the whole birthday setup's barely holding itself together."
"He lasted about ten seconds before spilling the beans about the new job, absolute secret-keeping disaster of a man."
Where it comes from
It’s been in American English since at least 1919, where it already meant giving away secret information. The popular tale about ancient voting with beans gets repeated a lot, but there’s no solid proof that’s the real source. The safe bit is this: it’s an old US idiom that spread far and stuck hard.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
