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woodwork

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*out of the woodwork

Fig. out into the open from other places or a place of concealment. (*Typically: bring someone or something ~; come ~; creep ~.) When the cake appeared, all the office people suddenly came out of the woodwork.

See also: of, out, woodwork

come out of the woodwork

also crawl out of the woodwork

to appear suddenly and unexpectedly If you try to lose weight, people will come out of the woodwork to offer advice.

Usage notes: usually said about someone who was not invited or wanted

Etymology: based on the idea of insects that suddenly come out from under boards in a house where they have been hidden

See also: come, of, out, woodwork

come/crawl out of the woodwork

to appear after being hidden or not active for a long time, especially in order to do something unpleasant After you've been in a relationship for a long while, all sorts of little secrets start to come out of the woodwork. Racists and extreme nationalists are crawling out of the woodwork to protest at the sudden increase in the number of immigrants.

See also: come, of, out, woodwork

out of the woodwork

Emerging from obscurity or a place of seclusion. It often is put as come (or crawl) out of the woodwork, as in The candidates for this job were coming out of the woodwork. The expression alludes to insects crawling out of the interior wooden fittings of a house, such as baseboards and moldings. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

See also: of, out, woodwork

out of the woodwork

Out of obscurity or a place of seclusion: People were coming out of the woodwork to apply for the desirable job.

See also: of, out, woodwork