Letting the cat out of the bag

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While we were at the old Fremantle Gaol, Western Australia, recently, we saw a replica of a cat-o’nine-tails whip which was used to lash recalcitrant prisoners. This whip had a solid section which the ‘flagellator’ (that was his official name) held. The end consisted of nine strands of unravelled rope. It was a very cruel punishment but what I found interesting is the two idioms arising from the practice. Whipping in this way began on sailing ships. Those who were subjected to flogging for whatever reason would be taken on deck as quarters were too cramped below deck for the lash to be swung. From this arose the phrase ‘no room to swing a cat’. The other expression is to ‘let the cat out of the bag’. The whip was kept in a bag and thus this expression came about. Nowadays, it generally means to divulge a secret. Next post, I’ll tell you about the Shipwreck Museum, a more palatable subject I hope. The photo is a view of the interior of the gaol. The net at ceiling height was to catch any prisoners who might jump from the upper floors.