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Difference between Let the cat out of the bag and Let the genie out of the bottle

admin Confusing Phrases

let the cat out of the bag—(accidentally) reveal a secret:

  • A few days later, when I wasn’t around, she let the cat out of the bag. Apparently, she didn’t realize she had ruined a surprise.

let the genie out of the bottle—let smth. bad happen that cannot be put right or controlled:

  • The ambassador warned that the deployment of space weapons will “let the genie out of the bottle.”