What it means
You say this when something feels basically already won or safely locked in, even if nobody's made it official yet. Could be a job, a deal, an exam, a match, whatever. It's a confidence phrase with a tiny whiff of tempting fate, because if it all falls apart after you've said it, you'll look like a proper muppet.
Usage examples
"Interview went sweet, mate. Job’s in the bag. Don’t jinx it. Too late, I’ve already told Mum and ordered a celebratory chippy tea."
"My sister told the whole family her new flat in Manchester was in the bag last Tuesday, she handed in the deposit on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning the agent rang to say the landlord had decided to rent to his nephew after all by the end of the week."
"The Sunday quiz was in the bag with three rounds to go, then the picture round threw up six cricket players from the nineties that nobody on our team had ever heard of, and we finished second behind the regulars who win every other month at the local."
"We were 3 nil up by half-time and Kev was already saying the cup was in the bag. Then we absolutely bottled the second half."
"Got the landlord's email, references checked, holding deposit paid. Unless the universe starts acting up, this flat's in the bag."
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Where it comes from
This one's been knocking about in English since the early 1900s. The image is dead simple: if something's in the bag, it's already caught, secured, and not going anywhere. Sport gave it extra legs, then everyday chat grabbed it and ran, so now people use it for wins, jobs, deals, exams, the lot.
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