behind someone's back

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behind someone's back

1. (idiomatic) Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.

   The employees talked about their boss behind his back.

   You will lose good karma if you say bad things behind people's backs.

   • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter II, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 25:

     I had never defrauded a man of a farthing, nor called him knave behind his back. But now the last rag that covered my nakedness had been torn from me. I was branded a blackleg, card-sharper, and murderer.

   • 1974, Tunji Oyelana (lyrics and music), “Which Way Africa”:

     Giant machines, precision tools, monster missiles, and all such [they] did lack.
     Indeed, the last industrial revolution happened behind their back.

   • 1998, Violent Femmes (lyrics and music), “Kiss Off”, in Violent Femmes:

     You can all just kiss off into the air / Behind my back I can see them stare / They'll hurt me bad, but I won't mind / They'll hurt me bad, they do it all the time