Let the cat out of the bag
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:
Top
let the cat out of the bag
Give away a secret, as in Mom let the cat out of the bag and told us Karen was engaged. This expression alludes to the dishonest practice of a merchant substituting a worthless cat for a valuable pig, which is discovered only when the buyer gets home and opens the bag. [Mid-1700s] Also see
pig in a poke.
Best of Web:
Top
Let the cat out of the bag
Some good "Let the cat out of the bag" pages on the web:
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
bag
(Idiom)
let out
(Idiom)
Cat Out of the Bag: Leave It to Beaver (TV Episode)
(1958 Comedy TV Episode)
let
(Idiom)
pig in a poke
(Idiom)
» More