The idiom "let the cat out of the bag" means to reveal a secret or to disclose information that was supposed to be kept hidden or confidential. It is often used when someone unintentionally reveals information that was supposed to be kept secret.
For example, if a group of friends are planning a surprise party for someone and one of them accidentally tells the person about the party, they would be said to have "let the cat out of the bag."
The origin of this idiom is not clear, but one theory suggests that it comes from the practice of dishonest merchants who would put a cat in a bag instead of a piglet, and then sell it to unsuspecting customers. If the customer opened the bag before paying, the cat would escape, revealing the merchant's deception.
In modern usage, the idiom is used to describe any situation where a secret is revealed, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It is a common expression in both formal and informal situations, and is often used in everyday conversation.
• My sister let the cat out of the bag about her new job before she was supposed to announce it.
• The company's CEO let the cat out of the bag about the upcoming merger during a press conference.
• The politician let the cat out of the bag about his party's secret plan to raise taxes.
• The whistleblower let the cat out of the bag and exposed the corrupt practices of the company.
• The journalist let the cat out of the bag and revealed the identity of the anonymous source.
• I accidentally let the cat out of the bag and told my friend about the surprise party.
• John let the cat out of the bag when he revealed that he had been secretly saving money to buy his wife a new car.
• She tried to keep her pregnancy a secret, but her morning sickness let the cat out of the bag.
• I accidentally let the cat out of the bag that we were planning a surprise party for mom.
• The CEO let the cat out of the bag that the company was going through financial difficulties during the annual meeting.
• The journalist let the cat out of the bag during the press conference, revealing the government's plans for a new tax policy.
• The spy let the cat out of the bag about the location of the secret meeting, jeopardizing the entire operation.