catch someone red-handed
Meaning: To catch someone in the act of committing some offense.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Dating from the 15th century, this idiom is a reference to the notion of killers being caught with the blood of their victims on their hands. The meaning later expanded to being caught in the act of any kind of wrongdoing.
More idioms — Daily Life
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- checkered past — A personal history that includes both successes and failures, or ethical and unethical be…
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More English idioms
- clean someone out — To take or steal everything someone has.
- clear the air — To resolve hidden resentment or uncover hidden thoughts.
- climb the walls — To be uneasy or restless.
- climb on the bandwagon — To join the crowd in following a popular position, cause, activity, or fashion.
- close shave — A narrow escape.
- closed-minded — Unwilling to consider new ideas.
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