Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[catch flat-footed] See: FLAT-FOOTED(2).
[catch forty winks] See: FORTY WINKS.
[catch hold of]{v. phr.} To grasp a person or a thing. •/"I’ve been trying to catch hold of you all week," John said, "but you were out of town."/ •/The mountain climber successfully caught hold of his friend’s hand and thereby saved his life./
[catch it] or [get it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be scolded or punished. — Usually used of children. •/John knew he would catch it when he came home late for supper./ •/Wow, Johnny! When your mother sees those torn pants, you’re going to get it./ Compare: GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE. Contrast: GIVE IT TO(2).
[catch it in the neck] or [get it in the neck]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be blamed or punished. •/Tom got it in the neck because he forgot to close the windows when it rained./ •/Students get it in the neck when they lose library books./ Compare: CATCH IT, GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE.
[catch off balance]{v. phr.} To confront someone with physical force or with a statement or question he or she is not prepared to answer or deal with; to exploit the disadvantage of another. •/The smaller wrestler caught his opponent off balance and managed to throw him on the float in spite of his greater weight and strength./ •/Your question has caught me off balance; please give me some time to think about your problem./
[catch off guard]{v. phr.} To challenge or confront a person at a time of lack of preparedness or sufficient care. •/The suspect was caught off guard by the detective and confessed where he had hidden the stolen car./
[catch on]{v.}, {informal} 1. To understand; learn about. — Often used with "to". •/You’ll catch on to the job after you’ve been here awhile./ •/Don’t play any tricks on Joe. When he catches on, he will beat you./ 2. To become popular; be done or used by many people. •/The song caught on and was sung and played everywhere./ 3. To be hired; get a job. •/The ball player caught on with a big league team last year./
[catch one’s breath]{v. phr.} 1. To breathe in suddenly with fear or surprise. •/The beauty of the scene made him catch his breath./ Compare: TAKE ONE’S BREATH AWAY. 2a. To rest and get back your normal breathing, as after running. •/After running to the bus stop, we sat down to catch our breath./ 2b. To relax for a moment after any work. •/After the day’s work we sat down over coffee to catch our breath./
[catch one’s death of] or [take one’s death of]{v. phr.}, {informal} To become very ill with (a cold, pneumonia, flu). •/Johnny fell in the icy water and almost took his death of cold./ Sometimes used in the short form "catch your death." •/"Johnny! Come right in here and put your coat and hat on. You’ll catch your death!"/
[catch one’s eye]{v. phr.} To attract your attention. •/I caught his eye as he moved through the crowd, and waved at him to come over./ •/The dress in the window caught her eye when she passed the store./
[catch red-handed]{v. phr.} /To apprehend a person during the act of committing an illicit or criminal act./ •/Al was caught red-handed at the local store when he was trying to walk out with a new camera he had not paid for./
[catch sight of]{v. phr.} To see suddenly or unexpectedly. •/Allan caught sight of a kingbird in a maple tree./ Contrast: LOSE SIGHT OF.
[catch some rays]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To get tanned while sunbathing. •/Tomorrow I’ll go to the beach and try to catch some rays./
[catch some Z’s]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To take a nap, to go to sleep. (Because of the "z" sound resembling snoring.) •/I want to hit the sack and catch some Z’s./
[catch-22]{n.}, {informal} From Joseph Heller’s novel "Catch-22", set in World War II. 1. A regulation or situation that is self-contradictory or that conflicts with another regulation. In Heller’s book it referred to the regulation that flight crews must report for duty unless excused for reasons of insanity, but that any one claiming such an excuse must, by definition, be sane. •/Government rules require workers to expose any wrongdoing in their office, but the Catch-22 prevents them from their doing so, because they are not allowed to disclose any information about their work./ 2. A paradoxical situation. •/The Catch-22 of job-hunting was that the factory wanted to hire only workers who had experience making computers but the only way to get the experience was by working at the computer factory./
[catch up]{v.} 1. To take or pick up suddenly; grab (something). •/She caught up the book from the table and ran out of the room./ 2. To capture or trap (someone) in a situation; concern or interest very much. — Usually used in the passive with "in". •/The Smith family was caught up in the war in Europe and we did not see them again till it was over./ •/We were so caught up in the movie we forgot what time it was./ Compare: MIX UP. 3. To go fast enough or do enough so as not to be behind; overtake; come even. — Often used with "to" or "with". •/Johnny ran hard and tried to catch up to his friends./ •/Mary missed two weeks of school; she must work hard to catch up with her class./ Compare: UP TO. 4. To find out about or get proof to punish or arrest. — Usually used with "with". •/A man told the police where the robbers were hiding, so the police finally caught up with them./ 5. To result in something bad; bring punishment. — Usually used with "with". •/The boy’s fighting caught up with him and he was expelled from school./ •/Smoking will catch up with you./ Compare: CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST. 6. To finish; not lose or be behind. — Used with "on" and often in the phrase "get caught up on". •/Frank stayed up late to get caught up on his homework./ •/I have to catch up on my sleep./ •/We caught up on all the latest news when we got back to school and saw our friends again./ Syn.: KEEP UP.
[catch with one’s pants down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To surprise someone in an embarrassing position or guilty act. •/They thought they could succeed in the robbery, but they got caught with their pants down./ •/When the weather turned hot in May, the drive-in restaurant was caught with its pants down, and ran out of ice cream before noon./
[cat got one’s tongue] You are not able or willing to talk because of shyness. Usually used about children or as a question to children. •/Tommy’s father asked Tommy if the cat had got his tongue./ •/The little girl had a poem to recite, but the cat got her tongue./ Compare: LOSE ONE’S TONGUE.
[cat has nine lives] A cat can move so fast and jump so well that he seems to escape being killed many times. •/We thought our cat would be killed when he fell from the roof of the house. He was not, but he used up one of his nine lives./
[cathouse]{n.}, {slang} A house of ill repute, a house of prostitution. •/Massage parlors are frequently cathouses in disguise./
[cat’s meow] or [cat’s pajamas]{n.}, {slang} Something very wonderful, special, or good. •/John’s new hike is really the cat’s meow./ •/Mary’s party is going to be the cat’s pajamas./