3 Oct 20
Pig in a Poke A pig in a poke is a thing that is bought without first being inspected, and thus of unknown authenticity or quality. A "poke" is a bag, so the image is of a concealed item being sold. Starting in the 19th century, this idiom was explained as a confidence trick where a farmer would substitute a cat for a suckling pig when bringing it to market. When the buyer discovered the deception, he was said to "let the cat out of the bag."
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29 Jul 20
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