AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • March 30, 2024

Post 74 - It’s a bank holiday, Idiom of the Day

Let the cat out of the bag


Created in ChatGPT using my custom Idiom Generator GPT! Give it an idiom and it generated the following info:


Figurative Meaning

To "let the cat out of the bag" means to reveal a secret or disclose information that was supposed to be kept hidden. It usually implies that the revelation was accidental or unintended, and it often leads to consequences or surprises for those involved.

Typical Usage

This idiom is often used in situations where someone inadvertently reveals a surprise, a plan, or confidential information. For example, if someone accidentally reveals the surprise party planned for a friend, they could be said to have "let the cat out of the bag."

Origin

The exact origin of "let the cat out of the bag" is somewhat unclear, but there are a couple of popular theories:


  1. Marketplace trickery theory: One theory suggests that the phrase originated in medieval markets. Unscrupulous vendors would sell pigs to customers in a bag (a practice known as "pig in a poke"). Sometimes, the vendor would cheat by placing a less valuable cat in the bag instead of a pig. If the cat managed to escape (was let out of the bag), the vendor's deceit would be exposed. This theory ties the idiom to the act of revealing a deception or secret.
  2. Naval punishment theory: Another theory connects the idiom to a form of naval punishment. The "cat" in this context refers to the "cat-o'-nine-tails," a whip used for flogging sailors as punishment. Keeping this whip in a bag until needed could symbolize holding back punishment or keeping it a secret. When the cat was taken out, it meant the punishment was about to be administered, revealing the impending consequence. However, this explanation is less commonly cited, and some etymologists consider it a bit of a stretch.



While these theories are intriguing, the true origin remains a matter of speculation. The phrase has been in use since at least the 18th century, with the first recorded usage in literature dating back to 1760.

A cartoon of a cat in a bag with a banner that says let the cat out the bag
Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
By Chris Witham August 21, 2025
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