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let the cat out of the bag

idiom

Formslets the cat out of the bag, letting the cat out of the bag, let the cat out of the bag

1 meaning of let the cat out of the bag

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  1. 1
    idiomintransitive
    To tell a secret, often by accident.

    Like a balloon that pops: once it happens, you can't take it back.

    Tom let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.

    Don't let the cat out of the bag before the big announcement.

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Origin

From the 1700s. It is the opposite of "pig in a poke." If a dishonest seller tried to sell a cat as a pig, and the cat came out of the bag, his secret was revealed.