Pig in a poke

Pig in a poke is an English idiom which means a kind of deceptive trick.  It is a blind bargain.

The phrase is about something which is offered for sale in a manner which hides its true value.  The idiom means a purchase which turns out not to be what the seller claimed it was.

History
The term "pig in a poke" was first used in the Middle Ages.  At this time, it was common to sell meat or small animals in cloth bags or sacks called a "poke".

Sometimes people simply bought the "poke" without looking inside; and sometimes people who thought they were buying pork or a small pig were surprised to find they had been sold something else.

The idiom pig in a poke is about what happens when someone does not look to see what is being bought or sold.

Meaning
The idiom "pig in a poke" is used to describe something which is purchased without the buyer being aware of its true nature or value.

The phrase can also be applied to accepting an idea or plan without a full understanding of it.  In other words, it is about starting a course of action without knowing the relevant facts.

Many other European languages have a version of this phrase, but many are translated as a warning not to buy a cat in a bag.A related English expression is "let the cat out of the bag". -

 Language Phrase TranslationBulgarianto buy a cat in a bagCatalanto give/to take cat instead of hareChinesesell dog meat as muttonCroatianto buy a cat in a sackCzechto buy a hare in a sackDanishto buy the cat in the sackDutchto buy a cat in the sackEstonianto buy a piglet in a sackFrenchto buy a cat in a bagFinnishto buy a pig in a sackGermanto buy the cat in the sackGreekto buy a pig in a sackHebrewcat in a sackHungariancat in a sackIcelandicto buy the cat in the sackIndonesiancat in a sackIrishbuying a pig in a bagItalianbuying a cat in a sackLatvianto buy a cat in a sackLithuanianto buy a cat in a sackLuxembourgishto buy the cat in a sackMacedonianto buy the cat in the sackNorwegianto buy the cat in the sackPolishto buy a cat in a sackPortugueseto buy a cat instead of a hareRomanianto buy the cat in the bagRussianto buy a cat in a sackSpanishto give a cat instead of a hareSpanishthere is a cat shut insideSerbianto buy a cat in a sackSlovakto buy a cat in a sackSloveneto buy a cat in a sackSwedishto buy the pig in the sackEgyptianبيشتري سمك في مياةto buy fish in the water

References

Category:Idioms
Category:Deception