The Cat’s Out of the Bag

“The cat’s out of the bag” means that a secret has been revealed. This idiom can also be used when something is accidently revealed.

Example: Well, we weren’t going to everyone that we are going to have a baby, but it looks like the cat’s out of the bag.

“Letting the cat of out the bag” is the act of revealing the secret. I find the verb “let” interesting in this case. “Let” sounds like such a pleasant thing: “Let them eat cake.” But when I picture a cat that was trapped in a bag getting out, I see a very violent and crazy feline.

Example: I’ll tell you the secret ingredient, but don’t let the cat out of the bag!

There are two explanations for the origin of the phrase, but both are unlikely. Therefore, we do not know where this idiom came from. The first explanation is in reference to the cat-o-nine-tails, a tool punishment on British ships. The whipping device was stored in a red sack. So, if someone was a witness against someone their words would cause the cat (-o-nine-tails) to come out of the bag.
The second suggestion is that cats were often substituted for livestock after purchase. So, someone would buy a piglet from a market. When the merchant put the piglet in the bag, they would replace it with a stray cat. When the customer returned home and opened the bag, the secret would be revealed. This is a funny story, but unlikely to be true. Who would think that a cat is actually a pig?

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