IdiomAnimals
Polish
Polishkupować kota w worku
Meaning: To purchase something without examining it first, risking getting a poor deal.
Literally: To buy a cat in a sack
Example: “Kupno mieszkania bez oglądania to kupowanie kota w worku.” — Buying an apartment without seeing it is buying a pig in a poke.
English equivalent: To buy a pig in a poke
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: att köpa grisen i säcken Literally: To buy the pig in the sack
German: Die Katze im Sack kaufen Literally: To buy the cat in the sack
French: Acheter chat en poche Literally: To buy a cat in a bag
English: buy a pig in a poke
Origin: The usual explanation is a market trick told across Europe: a buyer paid for a piglet in a closed sack and found at home that it was a cat. English "buy a pig in a poke" and "let the cat out of the bag" come from the same picture, and German has die Katze im Sack kaufen. The trick is a traditional story rather than a documented practice.
More Polish idioms
- zapaść się pod ziemię To wish to disappear from shame or mortification.
- na kolanie Done quickly, crudely, or without proper care; improvised and shoddy.
- trzymać język za zębami To keep silent and refrain from speaking.
- papierek lakmusowy A decisive test that reveals the true nature or quality of something.
- mieć głowę na karku To be sensible, intelligent, and capable of thinking for oneself.
- wyrzucić pieniądze w błoto To waste money on something worthless or futile.
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