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1. writingexplained.org › cat-out-of-the-bagWhat Does Let the Cat out of the Bag Mean? - Writing Explained

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   Apparently, at an earlier time in history, baby pigs were often sold at market. The seller would give the buyer the piglet in a bag. As a trick to save money, the seller would sometimes stick a cat in the bag rather than a piglet. The buyer might not realize he had been cheated until the cat came out of the bag, and the trick was revealed.

2. www.snopes.com › fact-check › let-the-cat-out-of-the-bagWhat's the Origin of 'Letting the Cat Out of the Bag'?

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   Aug 7, 2010 · Barbara Mikkelson. To “let the cat out of the bag” comes from cats being sold as pigs or sailors being whipped for transgressions. To "let the cat out of the bag" is one of those sayings ...

3. www.yourdictionary.com › articles › letting-cat-outUncovering the Origins of 'Letting the Cat Out of the Bag'

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   Jul 29, 2022 · What does the term "let the cat out of the bag" actually mean? ... referring to buying something without inspecting it or being scammed by a seller. Poke meant bag ...

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5. www.rd.com › article › let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-originWhy Do We Say "Cat's Out of the Bag"? | Trusted Since 1922

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   • Why Do We Say “Cat’s Out of The Bag”?
   • The Medieval Scam Explanation
   • The Nautical Punishment Explanation

   Well, first, let’s consider the first recorded use of the phrase. In a 1760 book review in the London Magazine, the reviewer complained that he “wished that the author had not let the cat out of the bag,” presumably referring to some kind of plot point. But while the first recorded use of the phrase is pretty straightforward, its originis not. Unfo...

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   The most heavily cited explanation for why we say “let the cat out of the bag” dates back to the Middle Ages. As the story goes, shady livestock vendors in medieval marketplaces sought to swindle their buyers. When someone would purchase a pig, the vendor would sneak a cat into the bag instead, cheating the buyer out of the higher price for a pig. ...

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   There’s another theory about the origins of this expression, and it’s a good deal darker. This explanation claims that the “cat” the expression refers to is not a feline but the “cat o’ nine tails,” a whip made from nine intertwined cords that was used as a form of punishment in the British Royal Navy and in prisons until as late as the 1840s. It w...

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6. www.onestopenglish.com › your-english › phrase-ofPhrase of the week: to let the cat out of the bag | Article ...

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   As the sales were illegal on the part of both buyer and seller, they were often carried out at great speed and sometimes it was possible to sell a cat instead of a much more valuable pig because the buyer did not look in the bag before the sale. If they did, however, and the cat jumped out, the secret was revealed.

7. ell.stackexchange.com › questions › 15266meaning - Origin of "Let the cat out of the bag" - English ...

   ell.stackexchange.com › questions › 15266

   Let the cat out of the bag is an idiom. From Wiktionary, to let the cat out of the bag. 1. (idiomatic) To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently. It was going to be a surprise party until someone let the cat out of the bag. Another similar idiom (also listed in that Wiktionary's page) is spill the beans.

8. People also ask

   Why would a seller stick a cat in a bag?

   • As a trick to save money, the seller would sometimes stick a cat in the bag rather than a piglet. The buyer might not realize he had been cheated until the cat came out of the bag, and the trick was revealed. Today, this phrase is most commonly used after a secret becomes known, and there’s no reason to hide it any more.

   What Does Let the Cat out of the Bag Mean? - Writing Explained

   writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/cat-out-of-the-bag

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   Why is a cat released from a bag?

   • There is nothing obvious about why a cat's being released from a bag has anything to do with truth being revealed. To “let the cat out of the bag” comes from cats being sold as pigs or sailors being whipped for transgressions.

   What's the Origin of 'Letting the Cat Out of the Bag'? - Snopes.com

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   Why does a pig have a cat in the bag?

   • When someone would purchase a pig, the vendor would sneak a cat into the bag instead, cheating the buyer out of the higher price for a pig. It wasn’t until the buyer arrived home and, literally, let the cat out of the bag that they’d realize they’d been scammed, hence the phrase’s association with revealing a secret.

   Why Do We Say "Cat's Out of the Bag"? | Trusted Since 1922

   www.rd.com/article/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-origin/

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   Why do we say let the cat out of the bag?

   • The most heavily cited explanation for why we say “let the cat out of the bag” dates back to the Middle Ages. As the story goes, shady livestock vendors in medieval marketplaces sought to swindle their buyers. When someone would purchase a pig, the vendor would sneak a cat into the bag instead, cheating the buyer out of the higher price for a pig.

   Why Do We Say "Cat's Out of the Bag"? | Trusted Since 1922

   www.rd.com/article/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-origin/

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   Who puts a cat in a bag?

   • According to The Phrase Finder, only a shyster puts a cat in a bag – honest business people put in piglets. This metaphorical expression's origin relates to the fraud of substituting a cat for a piglet at markets.

   meaning - Origin of "Let the cat out of the bag" - English Language

   ell.stackexchange.com/questions/15266/origin-of-let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag

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   What does it mean to buy a cat in a bag?

   • For one thing, per Phrases.org, both the Dutch and German versions of this phrase translate to “to buy a cat in a bag,” which alludes more directly to a deceitful purchase. And the Spanish translation means “to give a cat for a hare,” suggesting (somewhat more plausibly) that it would be rabbits, not pigs, that vendors would switch with the cats.

   Why Do We Say "Cat's Out of the Bag"? | Trusted Since 1922

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9. englishspeakingcourse.com › idioms › let-the-cat-outLet the Cat out of the Bag: Meaning, Examples and Sentences

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   Here are two examples that illustrate the usage of the idiom: Example 1: “I can’t believe you let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party! Now our friend knows, and the whole plan is ruined.”. Elaboration: In this example, someone accidentally revealed the secret about a surprise party. The phrase is used to convey that the secret ...