Apedia

Cat Bag Pig Page Carol's Brother Surprise Party

Idiom Let the Cat Out of the Bag
Example Carol's little brother let the cat out of the bag about her surprise party.
Meaning to give away a secret
Origin Centuries ago in England you might have bought a costly pig at a farmer's market. But if the merchant was dishonest and put a worthless cat into the bag instead of a piglet, you might not find out until you got home and let the cat out of the bag. Related expressions are "buy a pig in a poke" (see page 24) and "spill the beans" (see page 179) .

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