To let the cat out of the bag

Learning English Conversations

BBC

Education, Language Learning

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2012

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this edition of The English We Speak find out the meaning of the expression 'To let the cat out of the bag'.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a download from the BBC.
0:03.0	For more information and our terms of use, go to BBCworldservice.com
0:08.0	forward slash podcasts.
0:11.0	The English we speak.
0:13.0	From the BBC. mow, I'm mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow, mow,
0:29.6	hello, I'm William, and I'm gersiella.. Well I hope you've brought that poor
0:35.0	card for a very good reason it's terrified.
0:38.0	Well I wanted to explain an English phrase, Graciella, and I brought whiskers in to help.
0:47.0	Well, he's not very happy about being stuffed into that bag.
0:54.0	You'd better hurry up and explain your phrase.
0:57.0	Okay, okay.
0:58.0	So, right, I'm going to tell you a very big secret.
1:02.0	Oh.
1:03.0	But you must promise never to let the cat out of the bag.
1:09.0	No, we must let him out his unhappy will. Now, no, I mean, in English, when we say,
1:17.8	you mustn't let the cat out of the bag,
1:20.4	it means that something is a secret and that you mustn't tell anyone.
1:25.0	Ah, so it doesn't literally mean there is a cat in a bag.
1:30.0	It just means that there is a secret that must be kept.
1:34.0	Wow.
1:35.0	Exactly.
1:36.0	And I brought whiskers in just to help you remember the expression,
	...

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