单词 | to catch napping |
释义 | > as lemmasto catch (also †take) (a person) napping 2. to catch (also †take) (a person) napping: to find (a person) asleep. Chiefly figurative: to take (someone) unawares or off guard; to surprise (someone).In quot. 1686 with punning allusion to sense 1a. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > surprise, astonish [verb (transitive)] > take by surprise oppressa1382 susprisea1400 swikec1400 supprisec1405 catchc1425 to take (a person) at advantage(s)1523 to take (also rarely catch, find) a person tardy1530 to take tarde1547 to take (a person) short1553 to catch (also take) (a person) nappinga1576 preoccupate1582 surprise?1592 overcomea1616 to take (or catch)‥unawaresa1616 to take at a surprise1691 to catch (also take) on the hop1868 to catch (a person) bending1910 wrong-foot1957 a1576 Bp. J. Pilkington Godlie Expos. Nehemiah (1585) iv. xv. 65 Our mortall enemie..hopeth to speede at length, and take thee napping. a1659 R. Brownrig 65 Serm. (1674) II. vi. 62 How much more unbecoming is it, that the Sun of righteousness should take us napping? 1686 T. D'Urfey Banditti Epil. He that is to a Modest Beauty Yok'd..And with a Tumbling Whore is taken Napping, Deserves a Flauging. 1715 L. Theobald tr. Aristophanes Plutus v. i. 54 Whenever I was taken napping in an Enormity, you never was so kind to bear a part of the Blows that were my certain Perquisite. 1793 T. Pennant Lit. Life 101 He may also justly conceive a jalousy that there may have been..moments when poor virtue may be caught napping, and the sum of female dishonour effected. 1839 E. S. P. Knox Let. 16 Sept. in A. E. Blake Mem. Vanished Generation (1909) iii. 80 I hope you will all keep a good look-out, and not allow yourselves to be caught napping. 1884 Leeds Mercury 30 Apr. 4/6 The truth is that the Government whips were caught napping, as they too often are. 1917 E. R. Burroughs Princess of Mars xxvi. 310 We did not catch them napping, but found a well-entrenched battle line confronting us. 1997 Times Educ. Suppl. 18 July 27/1 The thing about Armageddon is that you don't quite know when it's going to happen. Inevitably, someone, somewhere in the world is going to be caught napping. < as lemmas |
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