Let’s explore the saying ‘let the cat out of the bag’ together, understanding its meaning, origins, and real-life examples.
Meaning of the Idiom
The idiom ‘let the cat out of the bag’ refers to revealing a secret or disclosing information that was supposed to be kept confidential. When someone lets the cat out of the bag, they unintentionally or intentionally disclose something that was meant to be a surprise or kept hidden.
Origin of the Idiom
The origin of the phrase ‘let the cat out of the bag’ is believed to come from an old practice of dishonest sellers who would substitute a cat for a pig in a bag at marketplaces. If someone revealed the trickery by letting the cat out of the bag, the secret was exposed. The idiom evolved over time to encompass any situation where a secret is revealed or information is disclosed unexpectedly.
10 Idiom Examples in Everyday Situations
1. Sarah accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party when she mentioned it to the birthday girl.
2. The company CEO let the cat out of the bag about the upcoming merger during a press conference.
3. Tom let the cat out of the bag about the office relocation before the official announcement was made.
4. Grandma let the cat out of the bag by revealing the gender of the baby before the parents had a chance to announce it.
5. John accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise vacation when he mentioned the destination in front of his wife.
6. The politician let the cat out of the bag about the scandal during a live television interview.
7. The children let the cat out of the bag about the hidden presents when they couldn’t contain their excitement.
8. The journalist let the cat out of the bag about the classified information in their article.
9. Tim let the cat out of the bag about the surprise wedding proposal when he accidentally showed the ring to his girlfriend.
10. The best friend let the cat out of the bag about the surprise visit from overseas when she accidentally mentioned the flight details.
5 Quotes Featuring the Idiom
1. “She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party when she accidentally mentioned it to the guest of honor.” – Unknown
2. “The journalist let the cat out of the bag about the scandal with their investigative report.” – Unknown
3. “He let the cat out of the bag about the upcoming product launch during the investor meeting.” – Unknown
4. “They let the cat out of the bag about the surprise vacation when they accidentally mentioned the destination.” – Unknown
5. “She let the cat out of the bag about the hidden presents when she couldn’t contain her excitement.” – Unknown
Idioms Starting From Letter L
Each and every letter of the English alphabet has hundreds of idioms. As in this post, we are talking about the idiom beginning with the letter L. There are many other idioms that also start with the ‘L’, which can be useful to you. We have gathered all the L-starting idiomatic expressions on a single page to make it easy for you to find the best and most useful idioms starting with the letter L.
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