Word of the Day: Dead giveaway
A dead giveaway is something that completely reveals the facts. It’s a little sign that if you notice it, will tell you the truth about a situation.
Don’t become confused about the ‘dead’ part here. Dead can mean that something is no longer alive or functional but it can also mean absolutely, totally or completely.
A giveaway is something unintentional that reveals a secret.
If you see someone standing in a sightseeing spot holding a camera and taking pictures, those things are dead giveaways that person is a tourist.
A young boy may come home later than usual from a night out and tell his mom he was ‘with friends,’ but the lipstick on his neck is a sign to his mother that he has a girlfriend.
Also, in the modern days of increased ransomware attacks and computer hacking, if your screen suddenly freezes or your computer markedly slows down, those signs are dead giveaways that your computer has been hacked.