Example: Er wollte das Geheimnis nicht gleich preisgeben und ließ die Katze nicht aus dem Sack.
Definition
"Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen" is a German idiom meaning to reveal a secret or disclose information that was previously hidden or kept confidential. It is often used when someone finally shares something that was meant to be surprising or unknown.
Translations
let the cat out of the bag
destapar el secreto
de aap uit de mouw laten
destapar el secret
vendre la mèche
Etymology
The phrase "die Katze aus dem Sack lassen" literally means "to let the cat out of the bag." It likely originated from old market practices where unscrupulous sellers would hide inferior goods in a sack, and revealing the cat symbolized exposing the trick. Did you know it shares similarities with the English idiom 'let the cat out of the bag'?
Learn to use this expression actively
"Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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let the cat out of the bag