IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishcatch someone off guard
Meaning: To surprise someone who is not prepared.
Example: “The question about his salary caught him off guard.”
Origin: From fencing and boxing, where "guard" is the defensive position. The phrase is common from the 19th century.
More English idioms
- drag one's feet To delay deliberately.
- be tone-deaf To be unable to tell musical notes apart; also, to have no sense of how others feel.
- throw dust in someone's eyes To mislead someone by distracting them.
- when pigs fly Never.
- lead someone up the garden path To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
- packed like sardines Crowded very tightly together.
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