• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “The awl came out of the sack.” An awl is a sharp, pointed tool — no matter how tightly you pack it, its point will eventually pierce through the bag. Figuratively, a hidden truth, secret, or someone’s true character will always come to light in the end. It is used when something concealed is finally revealed, often to someone’s embarrassment.

  English equivalent

  The cat is out of the bag. / The truth will out.

  Vocabulary

  • wyjść — to come out, to exit (perfective)
  • szydło — awl (a sharp, pointed cobbler's tool)
  • worek — sack, bag
  • worka — from the sack (genitive of worek after z)

  Grammar note

  Wyszło is the past tense neuter singular of wyjść (perfective aspect), indicating a completed action — the revelation has happened. Szydło is a neuter noun, hence the -o ending. Z worka uses the genitive of worek after the preposition z (from/out of). The perfective aspect emphasises the sudden, definitive nature of the reveal.

  Cultural context

  This is a very common, everyday expression used across all registers. Unlike 'the cat is out of the bag' (which is neutral), Polish speakers often use it with a tone of 'I knew this would happen' or mild schadenfreude. It can refer to secrets, lies, or hidden personality traits that finally surface.

  Intermediate

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!