die Geheimniskrämerei
Translation
secretiveness, hush-hush attitude, mystery-mongering
Examples
Ich mag seine ständige Geheimniskrämerei nicht.
I don't like his constant secretiveness.
Schluss mit der Geheimniskrämerei, sag was los ist!
Stop the secretiveness and tell me what's wrong!
Grammar Patterns
to stop the secretiveness ((aufhören)) Stop this secretiveness at once!
to hate sb.'s secretiveness ((hassen)) I hate his secretiveness.
Similar Words
Heimlichtuerei (secretiveness), Verschwiegenheit (discretion)
Etymology
From 'Geheimnis' (secret) + 'Krämer' (a petty merchant/shopkeeper) + '-ei' (a suffix for an activity, often with a negative connotation). It implies making a fussy deal out of secrets.
Memory Tips
Imagine a 'Krämer' (shopkeeper) being overly secretive about his cheap goods, making a 'Geheimnis' (secret) out of everything.