A Pig in a Poke
A friend recently bought a pig in a poke. (A poke is a bag or sack.) She did not receive what she thought she purchased.
A pig in a poke means we buy something without first inspecting it.
Scammers profit when we fail to take precautions. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
A pig in a poke originated years ago.
Sellers of piglets displayed real pigs. However, they put other small animals, such as cats, in customers’ pokes. Anyone who revealed their trick let the cat out of the bag.
Let the buyer beware.
This precaution translates from the Latin phrase “caveat emptor.” We want to make wise decisions.
- Examine the product.
- Read reviews or talk with previous customers.
- Buy from trusted sellers.
Online purchases increase the risk of buying a pig in a poke.
We cannot inspect the product in person. That makes reading reviews and buying from trusted sellers even more important.
From cars to cats, houses to hats, and power tools to pigs, be careful. We want to be sure we receive:
- What we purchased
- High quality products
- Nothing sold by a snake in the grass waiting to hornswoggle us.
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another” (Leviticus 19:11 NIV).
Thanks to Emily Akin and Carole Fite for the suggestion and to Debbie Tapscott for the photo.
Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? If so, please comment below.
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6 thoughts on “A Pig in a Poke”
Thank you for sharing about this espression that I’ve heard for years. I try to avoid getting caught, but I think most of us (including me) have been victims of a “pig in a poke” and lived to regret it.
I’m afraid you’re probably right, Katherine. I hope those hard-bought lessons teach us to do better in the future.
I never understood this saying, Diana, and I guess I simply lacked the curiosity to seek out its meaning. I really appreciate your explanation of it, even using other adages to describe it. We have to be so careful ordering things online these days, I agree.
Blessings!
I’m so glad I could clarify the meaning for you, Martha. Have a great week and be careful out there!
I’m so glad to have the explanation for this. Makes more sense now!
Many of our expressions don’t make much sense without the background, do they, Tracy. I knew the basic meaning of this one but learned a little more while writing about it.