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Meaning of "let the cat out of the bag" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

let the cat out of the bag play
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WHAT DOES LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Letting the cat out of the bag

Letting the cat out of the bag is a colloquialism meaning to reveal facts previously hidden. The facts were usually hidden from a specific target audience or theatrical audience. Examples include: ▪ revealing a conspiracy to its target. ▪ in a movie or play, the revelation of a plot twist. ▪ letting an outsider into an inner circle of knowledge. The etymology is not clear: two suggestions are that the phrase refers to the "Cat o'nine tails", or to the "pig in a poke" scam; however, both these suggestions have been deprecated by Snopes.com. However, anyone who has ever gotten a cat into a bag knows that once out, it will not go back, suggesting the irreversibility of a told secret.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

let in for
let in on
let into
let loose
let off
let off steam
let on
let one´s hair down
let oneself go
let out
let rip
let sleeping dogs lie
let slide
let slip
let slip through one´s fingers
let someone have it
let someone off with
let the grass grow under one´s feet
let through
let up

WORDS THAT END LIKE LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

air bag
bean bag
blue bag
carry-on bag
clutch bag
coffee bag
douche bag
duffle bag
Gladstone bag
ice bag
in the bag
message bag
musette bag
plastic bag
polythene bag
shopping bag
shoulder bag
sleeping bag
sponge bag
tote bag

Synonyms and antonyms of let the cat out of the bag in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «let the cat out of the bag» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

Find out the translation of let the cat out of the bag to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of let the cat out of the bag from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «let the cat out of the bag» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

让猫出来的袋
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

dejar que el gato fuera de la bolsa
570 millions of speakers

English

let the cat out of the bag
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

बैग के बिल्ली बाहर जाने
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

السماح القط للخروج من الحقيبة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

пусть кошку из мешка
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

deixar o gato fora do saco
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

ব্যাগ থেকে বের বিড়াল দিন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

ce n´est plus un secret maintenant
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Biarkan kucing keluar dari beg
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

lassen Sie die Katze aus dem Sack
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

袋から猫を聞かせて
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

가방에 고양이 를 보자
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Mugi kucing metu saka tas
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

để con mèo ra khỏi bao
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

பூனை வெளியே பூனை விடு
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

मांजर पिशव्या बाहेर द्या
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Kedinin çantadan çıkmasına izin ver
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

lasciare il gatto fuori dal sacco
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

niech kota z worka
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

нехай кішку з мішка
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

lasa pisica din sac
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

αφήστε τη γάτα από την τσάντα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

laat die kat uit die sak
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

Låt katten ur påsen
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

la katten ut av posen
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of let the cat out of the bag

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG»

The term «let the cat out of the bag» is very widely used and occupies the 18.592 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
92
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «let the cat out of the bag» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of let the cat out of the bag
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «let the cat out of the bag».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about let the cat out of the bag

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG»

Discover the use of let the cat out of the bag in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to let the cat out of the bag and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
You Let the Cat Out of the Bag! (And Other Crazy An
Explains the meaning of some common sayings.
Cynthia Fitterer Klingel, 2007
2
Twenty Hands-on Activities for Learning Idioms
VW. Let. the. Cat. Out. of. the. Bag: Compliment. Bags. Everyone loves to receive compliments. Let your students know what their classmates admire most about them by asking your students to "let the cat out of the bag." What to Do ...
Michael Gravois, 2002
3
A Dictionary of Anglo-American Proverbs & Proverbial ...
27) Barnard, Robert. Death of a Literary Widow. [English title: Posthumous Papers]. 1979. New York: Dell Publishing Company, 1981. To let the cat out of the bag (APP 61; ODEP 457; EAP 62; MP 100) 1843 the pussy coot let the cat out of the ...
George B. Bryan, Wolfgang Mieder, 2005
4
The Proverbial Bernard Shaw: An Index to Proverbs in the ...
... 57; ODEP, 107; EAP, 59; MP, 94. DAP, 85. CAT: 1. CONOLLY: Let me know at once when the cat comes out of the bag. (158, p. 150, 1880) . . . not a word 'was said until you, fortified by your parliamentary position, let the cat out of the bag.
George B. Bryan, Wolfgang Mieder, 1994
5
Idioms in the News - 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples
—Los Angeles Times (11/29/2012) "We're still in negotiations, but Arthur...let the cat out of the bag."—USA Today (2/9/2011) If you let the cat out of the bag, you reveal information and it is no longer a secret. If the cat's out of the bag, a secret ...
Peter Bengelsdorf
6
Troubling Confessions: Speaking Guilt in Law and Literature
The "cat is out of the bag" metaphor comes from United States v. Bayer, a case from long before Miranda, where Justice Jackson stated: [After] an accused has once let the cat out of the bag by confessing, no matter what the inducement, he is ...
Peter Brooks, 2001
7
Cheater's Guide to Speaking English Like a Native
Let the cat out of the bag In earlier times, people used to kill newly born kittens (to keep the cat population down) by putting them into a gunny sack, adding some rocks, tying the top, and tossing the bag into a creek or river. Letting the cat out of  ...
Boye Lafayette De Mente, 2007
8
Ellie Belly: Cat's Out of the Bag
“Socutesocutesocute! Soooo cute!” She lifted O-Chi gently out of Ellie's bag and cuddled it. “Where did you find it?” Gabby asked. “Are you going to tell Mama?” Ellie asked in return. “You think I'm going to let the cat out of the bag? Get the joke ...
Eliza Teoh, 2012
9
Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
C85 To let the Cat out of the bag 1769 Adams(S) Writings 1.296: The cat will be let out of the bag. 1769 Woodmason Journal 139: I would let the Cat out of the Bag. 1773 Norton Papers 313. 1776 JA in Adams FC 2.53. 1779 Burd Letters 105 : ...
Bartlett Jere Whiting, 1977
10
English-Albanian Dictionary of Idioms
let the grass grow under one's feet lick sth up □ We were planning a surprise birthday party for Mary, but Jack let the cat out of the bag, so now she knows about it. O I've let the cat out of the bag already, Mr. Corthell, and I might as well tell the ...
Ilo Stefanllari, 2000

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term let the cat out of the bag is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Prohibition Ploy, Only to Boost Voter Spirits - The New Indian Express
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar may have let the cat out of the bag by declaring that he will impose prohibition on the state if he comes to ... «The New Indian Express, Jul 15»
2
Gigi and Bella Hadid in Balmain as Joe Jonas confuses fans with …
Then Joe's brother Nick, 22, let the cat out of the bag confirming his brother was dating the 20-year-old. He told E!: 'I like them together. «Al-Bawaba, Jul 15»
3
The Rajapaksa Comeback Dream and... 2015-07-18 … - The Island
Nalin de Silva let the cat out of the bag when he told the media that the UPFA intends to gain a two-thirds majority, deprive President Sirisena of ... «The Island.lk, Jul 15»
4
The Statesman: They know where to go…
Then I let the cat out of the bag. It was no diary but a little book titled The Mother, authored by Sri Aurobindo. “Oh! That is a common book,” they ... «The Statesman, Jul 15»
5
A Date Palm Named Methuselah | KGOU
In science, it's never a good idea to let the cat out of the bag before all the data are analyzed, reviewed, and published. By the time this book is ... «KGOU, Jul 15»
6
A second FDA endorsement liberates Theranos to perform blood …
... work on the Ebola test, a member of its board of directors, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, let the cat out of the bag last March. «The Market Business, Jul 15»
7
No letting the cat out of the bag on phrase search
Some say that the phrase, “Let the cat out of the bag,” came from a time when farmers would bring suckling pigs to market wrapped up in a bag ... «Fremont News Messenger, Jul 15»
8
Daughter of Ma Richards Apologizes for "Tone" in Planned …
This whole thing does occur for profit, and guess who let the cat out of the bag on that one? None other than Media Matters! "You know, I'm. «RushLimbaugh.com, Jul 15»
9
BABY PLANNING?: Geordie Shore's Marnie says Ricky Rayment …
Sounds to us like you may have just let the cat out of the bag Mr Rayment. Jess Wright poses for paparazzi smiling FAUXMANCE: Jess Wright ... «Daily Star, Jul 15»
10
Apple Pay In The UK
First they let the cat out of the bag about the whole early surprise launch thing. And then, when that launch that they forgot to put “spoiler alert” ... «PYMNTS.com, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Let the cat out of the bag [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag>. May 2024 ».
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