home truth

plural home truths

1. A true but unwelcome statement.

   If Todd Boehly thought visiting Chelsea's dressing room to deliver some home truths would inspire a Champions League miracle against Real Madrid he was, as he has been so often since arriving at Stamford Bridge, very much mistaken.

   2023 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea Champions League exit: Where do 'disjointed, broken' Blues go from here?”, in BBC Sport

   1 more example

   The old adage is that a banker is someone who lends you an umbrella, then asks for it back when it is raining. The banks may find out this home truth for themselves: UBS joins the string of financial institutions looking to raise major amounts of capital to shore up their balance sheets.

   2008 May 22, Megan McArdle, “Bank on it”, in The Atlantic