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Idiom
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: to reveal a secret, often by accident.
- Example
- “Don’t let the cat out of the bag. The party is a surprise!”
- Where it comes from
- A popular story, never proven, says old market sellers hid a cat in a sack instead of a piglet, until the cat jumped out. Word historians say the real origin is unknown; the phrase first appears in print in 1760.
Cat, fuse, hoof, soup. One truth: the secret is out.
How other nations say it
France · FrenchVendre la mècheLiterally: Sell the fuse.Everyday French. Same meaning.
China · Mandarin露出马脚lùchū mǎjiǎoLiterally: Show the horse’s hoof.Close, not identical: you give away something you were hiding about yourself.
Mexico · SpanishSoltar la sopaLiterally: Spill the soup.Informal. Also means “to confess”.
Sources
We check every idiom and its literal meaning in two sources before it goes on screen. Found a mistake? Tell us.
