# write for the drawer

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/write-for-the-drawer
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To write a work for posterity or for friends that one cannot publish except as samizdat.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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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.