pig in a poke

pig in a poke

Meaning

• something that is bought without examining properly
• an offer or deal that is accepted without properly evaluating it first
• buying something without looking at it

Example Sentences

1. If you buy a used car without examining it thoroughly first, you might end up buying a pig in a poke.
2. Though online shopping has gained huge popularity, it can sometimes be something of a pig in a poke, as you cannot see what really you are buying.
3. Instead of trusting your agent and ending up buying a pig in a poke, why don't you go and have a look at it first?
4. I am afraid if I accept that offer, I might end up with a pig in a poke.
5. I am not closing that deal until I have all the details of what they are offering. I don't want to end up having got a pig in a poke.
6. The package I bought turned out to a pig in a poke.

Origin

The phrase is quite an ancient one and has been used in the literal sense. A poke is a sack or a bag. The idiom implies that if a a pig is bought when it is in a poke, or bag, the customer might be cheated. Written citations of the phrase have been found since the mid 1500s.