payveil
/ˈpeɪˌveɪl/nounVerified NewThe norm of concealing salary from colleagues and friends, maintained even among people who share everything else.
Households merge bank accounts while workplaces guard payslips; the figure stays unsaid across decades of friendship. The veil is fraying now that comparison sites publish ranges, but the etiquette of not asking persists.
Etym. — pay + veil — a garment of silence worn over the most discussed absence.
Rel. — figurefreeze
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-05-money.md
Evidence log
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Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2