Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Let the cat out of the bag

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Let the cat out of the bag" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourColorful & Traditional collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Colorful & Traditional

Let the cat out of the bag

Let the cat out of the bag
To accidentally or prematurely reveal a secret.
History & Origin

This idiom is widely believed to originate from an old street market scam where dishonest merchants would substitute a cheap cat for an expensive piglet inside a sack. When an unsuspecting buyer opened the bag at home, the fraud was exposed as they literally let the cat out of the bag. Another theory links it to the 'cat-o'-nine-tails' whip used for punishment in the Royal Navy, which was kept in a red canvas bag until it was revealed for use.

Examples
Casual Conversation

We were planning a surprise birthday party for Sarah, but her brother accidentally let the cat out of the bag by asking her what cake she wanted.

Workplace Email

Please keep the upcoming merger confidential for now; we cannot risk anyone letting the cat out of the bag before the official press release next week.

News/Media

The tech company tried to keep their new smartphone under wraps, but a leaked supply chain report let the cat out of the bag months ahead of schedule.

Academic Writing

In psychological studies involving deception, researchers must ensure that previous participants do not let the cat out of the bag to future subjects regarding the true nature of the experiment.

Formal Speech

Before I officially announce our keynote speaker, I must apologize to the committee, as a scheduling email unfortunately let the cat out of the bag yesterday.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. I was trying to clean my room, but my brother let the cat out of the bag and made a huge mess everywhere.

B. The company was preparing a secret product launch, but an employee let the cat out of the bag by tweeting the design blueprints.

C. If you want to pass the IELTS exam, you need to study hard and let the cat out of the bag every single day.

D. After a long and stressful week at the office, I finally decided to let the cat out of the bag and go to sleep early.