ProverbWisdom
English originc. 1530
English originc. 1530Do not buy a pig in a poke.
Meaning: Inspecting merchandise before purchase prevents you from paying for defective or worthless goods hidden from view.
Origin: A poke was a small sack, a word that survives in Scotland and in "pocket." Buying a pig without opening the sack meant paying for something unseen. A London saying of about 1530 advises traders, "When ye proffer the pig, open the poke," and John Heywood's 1546 collection gives the warning its familiar form. The popular claim that it is linked to "letting the cat out of the bag" has no evidence behind it.
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Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
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- Bête comme ses pieds Really not very bright.
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