let the cat out of the bag
This page is about the idiom let the cat out of the bag
Meaning
If you let the cat out of the bag, you let someone know a secret.
For example
- We'd planned a surprise party for Donna, but some guy she works with let the cat out of the bag, so now she knows.
- Don't forget that this is a secret, so whatever you do, don't let the cat out of the bag.
Origin: Possibly related to the fact that in England in the Middle Ages, piglets were usually sold in bags at markets. Sometimes, someone would try to cheat a buyer by putting a cat in one of the bags instead of a piglet. And if someone let the cat out of the bag, the fraudster's secret was revealed.
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Contributor: Matt Errey