Page 80 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

caught unaware(s)

catchŁ (on)Ł fire to ignite andŁ burn with (Also with have, asŁinŁthe example.)
flames.Ł Keep your coØt away from the Tom got Mary’s eye and waved to her.
flames, or it will cØtch fire. Lightning When Tom had her eye, he smiled at her.
struck the prairie, and the grass caught on 2. to appearŁandŁattract sàmeone’sŁinter-
fre. est.Ł A small red car passing by caught
my eye. One of the books on the top shelf
catchŁon (to someone ortsomething) to figur
someone orŁ somethingŁ out; to solve a caught my eye, and I took it down to look
puzzle; to see through anŁact of decep- at it.
tion. Mary caught on to Bob and his catchŁsomeŁZs Go to catch forty winks.
tricks. Ann caught on to the woman’s catchŁtheŁdevil Go to get the devil.
dishonest plan. The woman thought
that Ann wouldà’t cØtch on. catchŁ upŁ (to someone ort something) and
catchŁupŁ(withŁ someone ortsomething) to
catchŁ sightŁ ofŁ someone ortsomething to see move fasterŁinŁorderŁto reach someone
someone orŁsomethingŁbriefly; to get a or sàmethingŁahead,Łmoving inŁthe same
glimpse of someone orŁsomething.Ł I direction.Ł The red car caught up with
caught sight of the rockłt just before it flłw the blue one. Bill caught up with Ann,
out of sight. Ann caught sight of the rob- and they walked to the bank togłther.
ber as he ran out of the bank.
He had to run to cØtch up to her.
catchŁ someone in the act (of doingtsomething) catchŁupŁ(withŁ someone ortsomething) Go to
to catch a persànŁdoingŁsàmethingŁillegal catch up (to someone or something).
or private.Ł(See also in the act (of doing
something).) They know who set the fire. caughtŁin theŁact seenŁdoingŁsomethingŁil-
They caught someone in the act. I legal or private.Ł Tom was caught n the
caught Tom in the act of stealng a car. act. She’s guilŁy. She was caught in the
act.
catchŁ someone napping to find somone
unprepared.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁLiterally, to dis- caughtŁin theŁcross fire Go to caught in
coverŁsomeone “asleep.”) The enemy the middle.
soldiers caught our army nappng. The caughtŁin theŁmiddle and caughtŁin the
thieves caught the security guard nappng.
cross fire caught betweenŁtwo arguing
catchŁ someone offŁbylance to catch a per- people orŁgroups,ŁmakingŁit difficult to
sonŁ who isŁ not prepared;Ł to surprise remainŁneutral.Ł(Both are also literal.)
sàmeone.Ł Sorry I acted so flustered. You The cook and the dishwasher were having
caught me off balance. The robbero an argumłnt, and Tom got caught in the
caught Ann off balance and stole her purse. middle. All he wanted was his dnner.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith tried to draw me into
catchŁ someone offŁguard and catchŁ one off
one’ guard to catch a person at a time of their argumłnt. I doà’t like being caught
carelessness.Ł(Compare thisŁwith catch in the middle. Bill and Ann were argu-
someone off-balance.) Tom caught Ann ing, and poor Bobby, their son, was caught
off guard and frightened her. She caught in the cross fire.
me off my guard, and I told the locØtion caughtŁred-hynded caught inŁthe act of
of the jewels. dàingŁ somethingŁ wrong.Ł Tom was
caught red-handed. Many car thieves
catchŁ someone red-hynded to catch a per-
sànŁinŁthe act of dàingŁsàmethingŁwrong. are caught red-handed.
(See also caught red-handed.) Tom was caughtŁshłrt to be without sàmethingŁyàu
stealng the car when the police drove by need,ŁespeciallyŁmoney.Ł I needed eggs
and caught him red-handed. Mary tried for my cake, but I was caught short. Bob
to cash a forged check at the bank, and the had to borrow money from John to pØy for
teller caught her red-handed. the meal. Bob is caught short quite often.
catchŁ someone’ eye and getŁ someone’ eye caughtŁunawyre(s) surprised and unpr-
1. to esðablish eye contact with sàmeone. pared.Ł Sorry. You startled me when you

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