something is rotten in Denmark

A form of something is rotten in the state of Denmark — Something is not right, seriously amiss, especially when leading to suspicion of motive.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
    1 more example

    Among other sources who pepper the book's pages with their tips: "the Bookkeeper," a conscience-stricken woman who served C.R.P.'s finance chairman, Maurice Stans. "Something is rotten in Denmark and I'm part of it," she tremblingly warned Bernstein in her home one night a few weeks after the breakin.

    1974 April 22, “The Press: Woodstein Meets Deep Throat”, in Time, →ISSN
Cite this entry
APA

something is rotten in Denmark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20Denmark

MLA

“something is rotten in Denmark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20Denmark. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “something is rotten in Denmark,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20Denmark.

Source: something is rotten in Denmark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.