on the Q.T.

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Prepositional phrase

1. (idiomatic) Quietly; in a secretive manner; clandestinely.
   • 1910, Harold MacGrath, A Splendid Hazard, ch. 12:

     Will you be so kind as to impress him with the fact that this expedition is on the Q.T.? Not that I think he will say anythin'.

   • 1911, William MacLeod Raine, Mavericks, ch. 24:

     [R]ound up some of our friends on the q.t. Don't let Brill get a notion of what's in the air.

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, ch. 8 ('Lestrygonians'):

     All kind of places are good for ads ... Got fellows to stick them up or stick himself for that matter on the q.t. running in to loosen a button. Fly by night.

   • 1962, Jack Anderson, "[http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=wCAeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0osEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7212,2469513&dq=on-the-qt&hl=en Lobbyists Moan Over ‘Shakedown’]," Sarasota Journal (USA), 28 Aug., p. 6 (retrieved 25 Aug. 2010):

     But most are cozy affairs, kept strictly on the Q.T. Nothing is done in writing—no invitations, no tickets, just quiet phone calls.

   • 1997, LA Confidential,

     You heard it first here, dear readers... off the record, "on the Q.T.", and very Hush Hush.

   • 2005, Brokeback Mountain, 00:05:05:

     Now, what I want is a camp tender to stay in the main camp, where the Forest Service says. But the herder is gonna pitch a pup tent on the Q.T. with the sheep and he's gonna sleep there.

   • 2007, David Stout, "Ex-Bush Aide Contradicts Libby on C.I.A. Agent ↗," New York Times, 29 Jan. (retrieved 25 Aug. 2010):

     “This is hush-hush,” Mr. Fleischer recalled Mr. Libby as saying in effect. “This is on the Q.T. Not many people know about this.”

Translations

• Russian: тайко́м
• Spanish: por lo bajini, a hurtadillas, de extranjis, de tapadillo, a cencerros tapados, a la chita callando, como quien no quiere la cosa

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