“Let the cat out of the bag” is a relatively common expression used in the United States and Great Britain today.
But what does it mean, where does it come from, and how is it used? This post will answer these questions as well as provideexamples of how it is used today.
The expression “let the cat out of the bag” means to give away a secret and dates back to as early as 1530.
The term is derived from the popular trick of substituting a cat for a pig to sell at the market. Normally, the pig was put in a bag to keep it from escaping. Therefore, it was relatively easy to substitute a cat for the pig without the customer knowing until he had already made the purchase.
Since this trickery was very secretive, letting the cat out of the bag would give away the fact that thevendor was trying to be dishonest, or disclose his secret. As a result, the expression “let the cat out of the bag” has come to mean “divulge a secret.”
Here is an example of how it is used:
She wasn’t supposed to know about her surprise birthday party. Who let the cat out of the bag?
Here’s where to find more information about this expression and how it is used:
