Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

let the cat out of the bag

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.45 in modern English

Syllables
let the -cat out of the bag
IPA
34
Scrabble Score
20
Letters
2
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

Example Sentences

Etymology

First use appears c. 1753 or 1770. The inverse of the idiom pig in a poke. If a dishonest merchant tries to sell a cat as a pig and the cat comes out or is taken out of the bag, the merchant's secret is disclosed.

Inflected Forms

lets the cat out of the bag (present, singular) letting the cat out of the bag (participle, present) let the cat out the bag (alternative)

Phrases

bare one's breast buy a pup get off one's chest pig in a poke

Frequently Paired Words

bare one's breast buy a pup get off one's chest pig in a poke

Synonyms

babble blab let the cat out peach sing spill the beans talk tattle

Questions

What does let the cat out of the bag mean?
To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.
Where does let the cat out of the bag come from?
First use appears c. 1753 or 1770. The inverse of the idiom pig in a poke. If a dishonest merchant tries to sell a cat as a pig and the cat comes out or is taken out of the bag, the merchant's secret is disclosed.

How to pronounce let the cat out of the bag

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “let the cat out of the bag”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “let the cat out of the bag”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “let the cat out of the bag” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.