under the table

Definitions

1. Secret; covert; undisclosed.
   adjectival
2. Secretly; covertly; undisclosedly.
   adverbial
3. In or into a state of stupification or boredom.
4. In or into a state of drunkenness.
5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see under, table.

Equivalents

Examples

“I was paid under the table, so I didn't have⟳ to pay⟳ taxes on the income but I couldn't complain⟳ when I was cheated.”

“2015, Elizabeth Royte, Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need⟳ to Save⟳ Them., National Geographic (December 2015)https://web.archive.org/web/20151213095110/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/vultures-text The men tie up their dogs, retrieve what’s left of the lion’s kill⟳, and sprinkle it with a generic form⟳ of Furadan, a cheap, fast-acting pesticide that’s readily available under the table.”

CEFR level