break the veil

There was a discussion about a soccer player. The speaker said what broke the veil about the player’s reputation was that he couldn’t run very fast. This is a mashup of “lift the veil” (reveal something that was secret or misunderstood) and “break the spell” (to do something that ends a period of enchantment). “Spell” and “veil” seem to go together, conjuring images of genies and magic. “Piercing the corporate veil” might also have been in the speaker’s mind. That is a legal term meaning to find shareholders or directors personally liable for the company’s fraud or abuse. Another shout out to Martin Pietrucha for hearing this one and sending it in!