| Idiom | Buy a Pig in a Poke |
|---|---|
| Example | Have the used car looked over by a mechanic before you pay for it. Don't buy a pig in a poke. |
| Meaning | to buy something without seeing or examining it |
| Origin | A long time ago in England, a small bag or sack was called a poke. Farmers carried their pigs in pokes to sell at markets and county fairs. Sometimes customers were cheated by dishonest farmers who had actually put a runt (an undersized pig) or even a cat in the sack. The farmer said he couldn't open the bag to show the customer the pig because it might run away. So if you bought a "pig in a poke," you paid for something without examining it. Today the expression applies to any kind of item you buy sight unseen. See also "let the cat out of the bag," (see page 111). |
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