write for the drawer
To write a work for posterity or for friends that one cannot publish except as samizdat.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She writes for the drawer because she fears public criticism.”
“I write for the drawer to keep my honest opinions private.”
“They write for the drawer because their stories are too personal for the public.”
“During the years of strict censorship, the poet wrote for the drawer to keep his ideas safe.”
“Because the government banned his political essays, the journalist had to write for the drawer while waiting for a change in leadership.”
“Even though no publisher will accept such a controversial book, he continues to write for the drawer every night.”
“He spent his entire life writing for the drawer, never seeking fame, content that his private manuscripts would one day reveal his true thoughts to his heirs.”
A calque of the Czech phrase *psát do šuplíku*, which denotes the practice of composing literary works with the understanding that they cannot be published due to state censorship. The author continues to write, placing the finished manuscripts into a desk drawer to await a more favourable political climate.
- 01
have one's name written all over
To be typical of a particular individual, particularly with respect to a crime or scheme.
- 02
that's all she wrote
Indicating an abrupt termination of a project, or of one’s hopes or plans.
- 03
top drawer
Of the highest quality.
- 04
write checks one can't cash
To make promises one cannot keep, or to make boasts that are not true.
- 05
write one's own ticket
To be empowered to choose whichever job, financial arrangement, or course of action one desires.
- 06
write oneself into a corner
To reach a narrative point in which the story one is writing gets stuck, leaving no good or satisfactory alternative or resolution.
- 07
write the book
To be an authoritative expert on some specified topic.
- 08
written all over someone's face
Very obvious, from someone's facial expression.
Last updated August 10, 2026