let the cat out of the bag

Cultural  

1. To disclose a secret: “The mayor's visit was to be kept strictly confidential, but someone must have let the cat out of the bag, because the airport was swarming with reporters.”

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let the cat out of the bag Idioms  

1. Give away a secret, as in Mom let the cat out of the bag and told us Karen was engaged. This expression alludes to the dishonest practice of a merchant substituting a worthless cat for a valuable pig, which is discovered only when the buyer gets home and opens the bag. [Mid-1700s] Also see pig in a poke.

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Example Sentences

“Effectively what this rate check Friday did was let the cat out of the bag,” said Robin Brooks, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I had to let the cat out of the bag and get her in on it,” says Chandler, who is based in Cincinnati.

From The Wall Street Journal

Peak says Banksy's anonymity "let's him keep doing the campaigning stuff he does unfettered" which, along with loyalty, probably stops the few in the know from letting the cat out of the bag.

From BBC

Now that the movie is in theaters — spoiler alert — we can finally let the cat out of the bag.

From Seattle Times

The 2010 census let the cat out of the bag that Seattle has more pets than children.

From Seattle Times

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