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

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023

"The question was how to organise this with Swedish authorities and not let the cat out of the bag," Mr Moussavi said.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2021

I guess you could say Warner Bros. really let the cat out of the bag.

From The Verge • Mar. 8, 2021

This is somewhat surprising to me, but he is an only child, has been remote online schooling since last March, and hasn’t been around other kids who would let the cat out of the bag.

From Slate • Dec. 25, 2020

The day after I-r0k let the cat out of the bag, the name “Daito” appeared in the fourth slot on the Scoreboard.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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