Today when you spill the beans it means that you have divulged a secret maliciously. However this particular saying has its most common root in the ancient Greeks voting system where white and black beans or ballota (Hence the word Ballot) were placed in a jar where a white bean signified “Yes” and a black bean signified “No” when they were voting on something.
In Ancient Greece all votes were counted or viewed in secret and had to be unanimous and to pass meaning that all the beans had to be either black or white. If one odd bean was found the voting would cease and the vote would not pass at that time. If the bean counter or collector knocked over or spilled the bean jar purposely or even unintentionally either during or after the vote was concluded and an odd bean was seen the secret would be out and he was said to have “Spilled the beans”. This is also where we get the term “Odd Bean” to mean someone who is not with the program or different.
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myITforum Daily Newsletter Daily Newsletter May 18, 2007 The myITforum.com newsletter is delivered Monday