If you 'let the cat out of the bag' then you give the secret away. When a person ruins a surprise by saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment we say "Oh, you've let the cat out of the bag!".
Nowadays, people don't have a habit of putting cats in bags. Still, this is a very common phrase. The phrase is thought to come from an old scam (騙局) in which people would pretend to be selling pigs but actually only have cats. Apparently they would put cats in a bag and pass them off as pigs. If a cat came out of the bag then the secret would be revealed. This all seems quite unlikely and in actual fact no one is sure where the phrase comes from.
Examples:
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| Why wouldn't you let the cat out the bag? |
Nowadays, people don't have a habit of putting cats in bags. Still, this is a very common phrase. The phrase is thought to come from an old scam (騙局) in which people would pretend to be selling pigs but actually only have cats. Apparently they would put cats in a bag and pass them off as pigs. If a cat came out of the bag then the secret would be revealed. This all seems quite unlikely and in actual fact no one is sure where the phrase comes from.
Examples:
- This is sensitive information. You cannot tell anyone. If you let the cat out of the bag, there could be serious consequences.
- We planned a surprise party for my dad, but my little sister let the cat out of the bag, so he knows now.
- He can't keep a secret. He always talks too much and lets the cat out of the bag.
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