IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishcatch someone red-handed
Meaning: To catch someone in the act of committing some offense.
Example: “The shopkeeper caught the boy red-handed with a chocolate bar in his pocket.”
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: Skägget i brevlådan Literally: With your beard in the mailbox
Greek: Πιάστηκε στα πράσα Literally: Caught in the leeks
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 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.
- close shave A narrow escape.
- come full circle To return (figuratively) to a point where one has been before.
- come home to roost To return to cause trouble.
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