The Story Behind 'Spill the Beans'
The Story Behind 'Spill the Beans'
Have you ever heard someone say, "Spill the beans!" and wondered what it meant? It's a funny saying! It doesn't mean someone actually dropped a can of beans. It's an idiom, which is a phrase where the words together have a different meaning than what the words mean alone. "Spill the beans" means to tell a secret.
But where did this strange phrase come from? Let's dive into the history!
A Secret Ballot?
One popular idea about the origin of "spill the beans" goes back to ancient Greece. People voted using beans! They would put a white bean in a jar to vote yes and a black bean to vote no. The jar was kept secret until everyone voted. Then, someone would count the beans to see who won.
If someone accidentally (or on purpose!) knocked over the jar, the beans would spill, and everyone would know the results before they were supposed to. The secret was out! So, "spilling the beans" became a way to describe revealing a secret too soon.
A Horse Racing Connection?
- Idiom:
- A phrase where the words together have a meaning different from the individual words.
- origin:
- The starting point or place where something begins.
- ancient:
- Belonging to a time very long ago in history.
- dishonest:
- Not honest, truthful, or trustworthy.
- ballot:
- A method or ticket used to cast a vote in an election or decision.
- revealing:
- Making known or sharing information that was previously kept secret or hidden.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is an idiom?
- 2What does the idiom "spill the beans" mean?
Where this passage belongs
About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“The Story Behind 'Spill the Beans'” is a explanatory article reading passage about Idioms, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (313 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.