# let the cat out of the bag

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

## Etymology
(Mid-1700s) The inverse of the idiom pig in a poke. If a dishonest merchant tries to sell a cat as a pig and the cat comes out or is taken out of the bag, the merchant's secret is disclosed.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag