
IdiomAnimals
English
let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: to reveal a secret inadvertently.
Example: “We were planning a surprise, but Grandpa let the cat out of the bag at dinner.”
Origin: Medieval market fraud where cats were substituted for piglets in bags; buyers discovered the deception.
Other ways to say this
Japanese: 口が滑る (kuchi ga suberu) Literally: The mouth slipsEnglish: spill the beans
French: Vendre la mèche Literally: To sell the fuse
More English idioms
- pull your punches to hold back; to be less forceful than you could be.
- spill the tea to reveal gossip or scandalous information.
- wear your heart on your sleeve to display emotions openly; to be transparent about feelings.
- mad as a box of frogs completely crazy; chaotic and unpredictable.
- have the wool pulled over your eyes to be deceived or fooled.
- not worth your salt incompetent; not deserving of wages or respect.
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- Schadenfreude The guilty little pleasure of taking satisfaction in someone else's misfortune.
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