What does Let the cat out of the bag Idiom mean
Meaning of Idiom “let the cat out of the bag”:
If you let the cat out of the bag, you accidentally reveal a secret or tell other people information that was meant to be kept private.
Picture a family throwing a surprise party. They all agree not to tell their child that they are throwing him or her a party. But someone accidentally spills the beans. They let the cat out of the bag.
You will hear this expression used often in English. Whenever someone is talking about secrets, surprises, business plans, or private information that becomes known too soon, you will likely hear this expression.
Where does this expression come from?
Nobody knows for sure, but one of the most popular origins for this phrase talks about traveling salesmen in Europe. Many centuries ago, if you went to the marketplace to buy a piglet someone may have tricked you. Instead of putting a piglet into a bag, they might have placed a cat in it. Then, when they tried to sell it to you, you would open the bag and….out jumps the cat! Let the cat out of the bag, literally. The secret was let out.
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Examples:
- Sarah let the cat out of the bag and told her sister about the surprise trip.
- I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag. I was talking about our wedding plans.
- The manager of the company let the cat out of the bag about our new product.
- My friend let the cat out of bag. She told everyone where we were going on vacation.
- Don’t let the cat out of the bag! It’s supposed to be a surprise.
Sometimes people let secrets slip because they are too excited or they forget that information is supposed to be private. You should know that once a cat has been let out of the bag, it’s hard to put it back in again.