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Nigger in the woodpile
A nigger in the woodpile or fence is a dated American figure of speech〔http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nigger%20in%20the%20woodpile〕 meaning "some fact of considerable importance that is not disclosed—something suspicious or wrong". Commonly used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, usage has declined since then, and use of the phrase by public figures has often been followed by criticism over the offensiveness of the term "nigger".
==Origin==
Both the "fence" and "woodpile" variants developed about the same time in the period of 1840–50 when the Underground Railroad was flourishing. The evidence is slight, but it is presumed that they were derived from actual instances of the concealment of fugitive slaves in their flight north under piles of firewood or within hiding places in stone walls.〔"Heavens to Betsy" (1955, Harper & Row) by Charles Earle Funk〕 Another possible origin, comes from the practice of transporting pulpwood on special rail road cars. In the era of slavery, the pulpwood cars were built with an outer frame with the wood being stacked inside in moderately neat rows and stacks. However, given the nature of the cars, it was possible to smuggle persons in the pile itself, possibly giving rise to the term.
This phrase is a metaphor for a leak of information. The origin is simple. Families heated with wood and kept a wood pile outside but close to the home. The implication is that if secrets are leaking outside the home, then the culprit is a thief of information and could easliy be hiding by the stack of wood that is within earshot of the home in order to listen to the discussions without invitation.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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