above board
/əˌbʌv ˈbɔːd/NEUTRAL · C1
Meaning
honest and legal, with nothing hidden
Examples
- 1The sale was completely above board, with a lawyer checking every document.
- 2Is this deal above board, or are they avoiding tax?
- 3Before signing, Priya checked that the landlord's contract was above board and fair.
- 4Everything about the raffle was above board: the tickets were drawn in front of everyone.
- 5The police found that the builder's payments were all above board.
Grammar
The phrase does not change. It usually follows be, often with all or completely; before a noun it is often written above-board.
More idioms about honesty and secrets
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →lie through your teethto say something you know is completely falsea pack of liesa story or claim that is completely untruecook the booksto change financial records dishonestlyput your cards on the tableto be honest about what you think and wantpull the wool over someone's eyesto trick someone so they do not notice the truthtake something with a pinch of saltto not fully believe what you are told
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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