pseudosecret

plural pseudosecrets

1. A supposed secret that is not actually secret; open secret.

   Thus, pseudosecrets can also become a way of maintaining generational and sexual boundaries in the family.

   2000, Linda Berg Cross, Basic Concepts in Family Therapy, page 159

   2 more examples

   For a real secret he substitutes a pseudosecret, though in doing so he cannot help telling the attentive reader that there is a secret there.

   1983, Frank Kermode, Essays on Fiction: 1971-82, page 147

   Diplomats succeed by appealing to the better side of human nature, to shared interests and values, and to shared culture and humanity, and shared pseudosecrets are an excellent way to break the ice.

   2007, John Brady Kiesling, Diplomacy Lessons