een kat in de zak kopen
to buy a pig in a poke; to get ripped off
Intermediate Phrase
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Pronunciation
/ən kɑt ɪn də zɑk ˈkoː.pən/
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Cultural Note
Literally 'to buy a cat in the bag,' this medieval idiom refers to being tricked into buying something without inspecting it first. The English equivalent is 'to buy a pig in a poke.' Both idioms likely originated from the same medieval market swindle across Europe.
📝 Example Sentences
Ik heb een kat in de zak gekocht met die tweedehands auto.
I got ripped off with that second-hand car.
Koop geen kat in de zak -- lees eerst de recensies.
Don't buy a pig in a poke -- read the reviews first.
Het bleek een kat in de zak te zijn.
It turned out to be a bad deal.