A pig in a poke is a thing that is bought without first being inspected, and thus of unknown authenticity or quality.[1] The idiom is attested in 1555:
I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke[2]
I will never buy the pig in the poke There's many a foul pig in a fair cloak
A "poke" is a sack, 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", that is, to learn of something unfortunate prematurely, [3] hence the expression "letting the cat out of the bag",[4] meaning to reveal that which is secret.[5] The French idiom acheter (un) chat en poche and the Dutch een kat in de zak kopen and also the German die Katze im Sack kaufen (all: to buy a cat in a bag) refer to an actual scam of this nature, as do many other European equivalents, while the English expression refers to the appearance of the trick.[5] The English idiom "sold a pup" refers to a similar con.[6] Other variations include "buy a fish in water" (Arabic), "buy a cow on another mountain" (Chinese), "buy in a closed box" (Italian) and "buy a cat instead of a hare" (Iberian languages).
In common law, buyers have the right to inspect goods before purchase.[7][8]
A poke is a sack or bag, from French poque, which is also the etymon of "pocket", "pouch", and "poach".[9]Poke is still in regional use. Pigs were formerly brought to market for sale in a cloth bag, a poke.
Use in popular cultureedit
In the April 1929 edition of the literary magazine The London Aphrodite, a story by Rhys Davies, titled "A Pig in a Poke", was published, in which a Welsh coal miner takes a woman from London for his wife and regrets it.[10]
^Heywood, John (1555). . Archived from the original on 11 Mar 2021.
^Turton, William. "Origines Zoologicæ, or Zoological Recollections". Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology and Meteorology. 7: 326.
poke, other, uses, disambiguation, poke, thing, that, bought, without, first, being, inspected, thus, unknown, authenticity, quality, idiom, attested, 1555, wyll, neuer, poke, thers, many, foule, feyre, cloke, will, never, poke, there, many, foul, fair, cloaka. For other uses see Pig in a poke disambiguation A pig in a poke is a thing that is bought without first being inspected and thus of unknown authenticity or quality 1 The idiom is attested in 1555 I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke 2 I will never buy the pig in the poke There s many a foul pig in a fair cloakA poke is a sack 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 that is to learn of something unfortunate prematurely 3 hence the expression letting the cat out of the bag 4 meaning to reveal that which is secret 5 The French idiom acheter un chat en poche and the Dutch een kat in de zak kopen and also the German die Katze im Sack kaufen all to buy a cat in a bag refer to an actual scam of this nature as do many other European equivalents while the English expression refers to the appearance of the trick 5 The English idiom sold a pup refers to a similar con 6 Other variations include buy a fish in water Arabic buy a cow on another mountain Chinese buy in a closed box Italian and buy a cat instead of a hare Iberian languages In common law buyers have the right to inspect goods before purchase 7 8 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Use in popular culture 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 BibliographyEtymology editA poke is a sack or bag from French poque which is also the etymon of pocket pouch and poach 9 Poke is still in regional use Pigs were formerly brought to market for sale in a cloth bag a poke Use in popular culture editIn the April 1929 edition of the literary magazine The London Aphrodite a story by Rhys Davies titled A Pig in a Poke was published in which a Welsh coal miner takes a woman from London for his wife and regrets it 10 In the 1985 film National Lampoon s European Vacation the Griswold family wins the vacation on a game show called Pig in a Poke See also edit nbsp Look up pig in a poke in Wiktionary the free dictionary Cultural references to pigs Green goods scam Lipstick on a pig Impulse purchaseNotes editReferences edit Oxford English Dictionary 3rd Edition 2006 s v pig P4 Heywood John 1555 Two hundred Epigrammes vpon two hundred prouerbes with a thyrde hundred newly added Archived from the original on 11 Mar 2021 Turton William Origines Zoologicae or Zoological Recollections Magazine of Natural History and Journal of Zoology Botany Mineralogy Geology and Meteorology 7 326 Let the cat out of the bag on Theidioms com a b Brewer Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 1898 Symons Mitchell 2 October 2014 There Are Tittles in This Title The Weird World of Words pp 34 35 ISBN 9781782432715 Gardiner v Gray 1815 no caveat emptor principle applies where there has been no opportunity to inspect goods Sale of Goods Act 1979 Oxford English Dictionary 3rd Edition s v v Boulton James T ed 1993 The Letters of D H Lawrence Volume VII November 1928 February 1930 Cambridge Cambridge University Press Bibliography editE Cobham Brewer Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 1898 Funk Charles Earle A Hog on Ice amp Other Curious Expressions HarperResource 2002 ISBN 0 06 051329 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pig in a poke amp oldid 1206200000, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
