A ''pig in a poke'' is a thing that is bought without first being inspected, and thus of unknown authenticity or quality. The
idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a Literal and figurative language, figurative or non-literal meaning (linguistic), meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic speech, formulaic ...
is attested in 1555:
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
A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irrespons ...
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, hence the expression "
letting the cat out of the bag
Letting the cat out of the bag (also ...box) is a colloquialism that means to reveal facts previously hidden. It could refer to revealing a conspiracy (friendly or not) to its target, letting an outsider into an inner circle of knowledge (e.g., ex ...
", meaning ''to reveal that which is secret''.
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
A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their Trust (emotion), trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence ...
of this nature, as do many other European equivalents, while the English expression refers to the appearance of the trick.
[Brewer, ''Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', 1898.] The English idiom "sold a pup" refers to a similar con. 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
Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
, buyers have the right to inspect goods before purchase.
Etymology
A ''poke'' is a sack or bag, from French ''poque'', which is also the etymon of "
pocket
A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...
", "
pouch", and "
poach
Poaching is illegal hunting or fishing.
Poaching or poach may also refer to:
Food
* Poaching (cooking)
People
* Amanda Poach (born 1987), American soccer player
* Andreas Poach (1515–1585), German theologian
Sport
* Poach (pickleball), ...
".
['']Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'', 3rd Edition, ''s.v.v.'' ''Poke'' is still in regional use. Pigs were formerly brought to market for sale in a cloth bag, a poke.
Use in popular culture
In the April 1929 edition of the literary magazine ''
The London Aphrodite
''The London Aphrodite'' was a little literary magazine which existed between 1928 and 1929. It is known for its founders Jack Lindsay and P. R. Stephensen. Tim Armstrong described the magazine as an example of micro-modernist publications.
His ...
'', 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.
In the 1985 film ''
National Lampoon's European Vacation
''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Robert Klane based on characters created by John Hughes. The second film in National Lampoon's ''Vacation'' film series, it stars ...
'', the Griswold family wins the vacation on a game show called "Pig in a Poke".
See also
*
Cultural references to pigs
Pigs, widespread in societies around the world since Neolithic times, have been used for many purposes in art, literature, and other expressions of human culture. In classical times, the Romans considered pork the finest of meats, enjoying sausa ...
*
Green goods scam
The green goods scam, also known as the "green goods game", was a fraud scheme popular in the 19th-century United States in which people were duped into paying for worthless counterfeit money. It is a variation on the pig-in-a-poke scam using mon ...
*
Lipstick on a pig
The phrase to put "lipstick on a pig" means making superficial or cosmetic changes to a product in a futile effort to disguise its fundamental failings. There are many phrases using pigs, monkeys, or swine, dating back to ancient times. This phra ...
*
Impulse purchase
In the field of consumer behavior, an impulse purchase or impulse buying is an unplanned decision by a consumer to buy a product or service, made just before a purchase. One who tends to make such purchases is referred to as an impulse purcha ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
* E. Cobham Brewer
''Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'' 1898.
*
Funk, Charles Earle, ''A Hog on Ice: & Other Curious Expressions''. HarperResource, 2002. .
{{Scams and confidence tricks
Confidence tricks
English-language idioms
Metaphors referring to pigs