By A Mystery Man Writer
quot;Spill the beans" is a common phrase that people still use. "Let the cat out of the bag" is another common one. "It was a surprise, but John let the cat out of the bag."|Those two phrases both sound natural in that example sentence but now that I think about it there is a small difference between those two phrases. "Spill the beans" is commonly used when you're trying to get someone to tell you something that they're not supposed to say. "Come on! Spill the beans already! Who did it?" "Let the cat out of the bag" is used more in situations where you accidentally said something that you were keeping secret. "Let it slip" is another phrase used with this meaning. "John accidentally let it slip that we were throwing him a surprise party." "The party was supposed to be a surprise, but John accidentally let the cat out of the bag."|These idioms apply in some situations: Give it away. I’m upset that you gave away the ending to that movie before I saw it. Fess up - if you are confessing your own acts - she fessed up to taking my pen.|Most people don't really use "spill the beans", but it wouldn't sound too weird or out of place. Some alternatives would be "(They) spoiled the surprise" or "(They) ruined the surprise."
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