# birthday suit

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/birthday-suit
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Nakedness, unclothed skin; an exposure of a human's natural anatomy without clothing.

## Examples

- He jumped in the lake in his birthday suit.
- You should not walk to the mailbox in your birthday suit.
- The cat stares at me whenever I am in my birthday suit.
- The toddler ran through the house in his birthday suit after escaping from the bath.
- The locker room was full of athletes in their birthday suits as they prepared to head into the showers after the game.
- I forgot to bring a towel to the pool, so I had to stand there in my birthday suit until my friend found one.
- The artist's controversial photograph depicted the subject in nothing but her birthday suit, challenging viewers to reconsider cultural attitudes toward the unclothed body.

## Origin

First recorded in the mid-18th century, the phrase relies on the observation that one arrives at birth entirely unburdened by tailoring. It serves as a polite substitution for nakedness, suggesting that the skin itself constitutes the only garment worn at the moment of delivery.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.