When was the last time you got disappointed when you opened the package of something you spent a lot of money on and were waiting impatiently to arrive?
A few weeks ago, I ordered a world map from eBay so I could hang it on the boring blank wall of my sitting room and daydream about traveling to all those fascinating places I always wanted to visit. The map arrived on time, and I hung it on my wall. Do you want to see what it looks like?
You guessed it right. I had bought «katta i sekken.»
The expression «Katta i sekken» literally means «The cat in the bag.»
«Å kjøpe katta i sekken» means to buy something unseen and get cheated.
The phrase probably originates from the story of Till Eulenspiegel (the 1300s), who sewed a cat into a hareskin, put it in a sack and sold it like a hare.
So, now you know. Be careful next time you buy something online. Do your research and read the reviews, so you don’t end up buying «katta i sekken» .
Vocabulary:
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En katt – A cat
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Katta – The cat
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i – in
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En sekk – A bag
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Sekken – The bag
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Katta i sekken – The can in the bag