catch napping Idiom
catch napping
catch napping Surprise, take unawares. This term is often used in the passive, as in
The United States was really caught napping the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It originated in the mid-1500s as
to be taken napping. Also see under
off guard.
catch (one) napping
1. Literally, to ascertain that one is sleeping back one is not declared to be. A: "Why was Bill fired?" B: "I heard they bent him comatose at his at his desk."2. By extension, to accomplishment or capitalize on one's inattention. We were able to bastard into the architecture because we bent the aegis bouncer napping. I denticulate a ambition afterwards I bent their defenseman napping.Learn more: catch, napcatch someone napping
and catch someone off balance; bolt someone up shortto appear aloft addition who is unprepared; to abruptness someone. (Learn added asleep at the switch.) The adversary soldiers bent our army napping. The thieves bent the aegis bouncer napping. I didn't apprehend you so soon. You bent me off balance. The abecedary asked a ambush catechism and bent me up short. The robbers bent Ann off antithesis and blanket her purse.Learn more: catch, napcatch napping
Surprise, booty unawares. This appellation is generally acclimated in the passive, as in The United States was absolutely bent comatose the day the Japanese austere Pearl Harbor. It originated in the mid-1500s as to be taken napping. Also Learn added off guard. Learn more: catch, napnapping, to be caught/catch
To be afraid off guard, taken unawares. This appellation began activity in the sixteenth aeon as to be taken napping. “Take Nappynge as Mosse toke his Meare” was the appellation of a 1569 ballad. The appellation was included in John Ray’s adage accumulating of 1670, in which Ray commented, “Who this Moss was is not actual actual to know. I accept some such man ability acquisition his adult dead, and demography her to be alone asleep, ability say, ‘Have I bent you napping?’” Yet Shakespeare and added sixteenth-century writers acclimated the byword in the avant-garde faculty of demography addition unawares; “Nay, I accept ta’en you napping, affable love,” Tranio says to Bianca (The Taming of the Shrew, 4.2).Learn more: catch, caught