马脚

馬腳

mǎ jiǎo

Meanings

CC-CEDICT

mǎ jiǎo

1.sth one wishes to conceal
2.the cat (as in "let the cat out of the bag")

CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA

Wiktionary

1.horse's feet
2.cloven foot; something that gives the game away; mistake or gap in a speech or theory; flaw

Wiktionary · CC BY-SA

Etymology

First attested in works written in Yuan dynasty. In folk etymology, this term is attributed to Empress Ma, the first queen of Ming dynasty, who did not have her feet bound because she originated from a peasant family, contrary to upper-class women at that time.

Wiktionary · CC BY-SA