Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag! | The Origins Of Phrases

[@kebenny]

Interesting Pharisees

[@ronwhitehouse23]

I am afraid you are totally incorrect about letting the cat out of the bag I'm afraid. The saying comes from the naval days of Horatio Nelson and the need to keep strict authoritarian discipline among the crew ".Letting the cat out of the bag" was a reference to the cat of nine tails with was a barbaric punishment for even the most minor infringements. The "cat" was kept in a bag. Another saying from the days is a "square meal" the dinner plates were all designed in a square shape so they would all fit together more easily and therefore stop sliding about and falling off the table.

[@molly-gz1gd]

You are correct, the cat o nine tails ( a whip for flogging) was kept in a goatskin bag to prevent it from drying out. This bag was kept by the master at arms on board a ship and when a flogging was going to be carried out for punishment the "cat" would be taken out the bag and readied for use. If this was witnessed by other crew members word would go round the ship that "the cat is out of the bag" meaning that someone was about to get flogged. This is also where the expression "not enough room to swing a cat " comes from as the flogging was usually carried out above decks as there was not room in the lower part of the ship to swing the cat effectively.