[cast up]{v.}, {literary} 1. To turn or direct upward; raise.•/The dying missionary cast up his eyes to heaven and prayed./ 2.{archaic} To do sums; do a problem in addition; add. •/Cast up 15, 43,27, and 18./ •/When John had all the figures, he cast them up./

[cat] See: COPY CAT, CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT, FRAIDY-CAT or FRAID-CAT orSCAREDY CAT OY SCARED-CAT, HOLY CATS, LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, LOOK LIKE THECAT THAT ATE THE CANARY, PLAY CAT AND MOUSE WITH, RAIN CATS AND DOGS.

[catch] See: EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM, FAIR CATCH, SHOESTRING CATCH.

[catch-as-catch-can(1)]{adv. phr.} In a free manner; in any waypossible; in the best way you can. •/On moving day everything is packed andwe eat meals catch-as-catch-can./

[catch-as-catch-can(2)]{adj. phr.} Using any means or method;unplanned; free. •/Rip van Winkle seems to have led a catch-as-catch-canlife./ •/Politics is rather a catch-as-catch-can business./ Compare:HIT-OR-MISS.

[catch at]{v.} 1. To try to catch suddenly; grab for. •/The boy onthe merry-go-round caught at the brass ring, but did not get it./ 2. To seizequickly; accept mentally or physically. •/The hungry man caught at thesandwich and began to eat./ •/Joe caught at Bill’s offer to help./

[catch at a straw] See: GRASP AT STRAWS.

[catch cold]{v. phr.} 1. or [take cold] To get a commoncold-weather sickness that causes a running nose, sneezing, and sometimes sorethroat and fever or other symptoms. •/Don’t get your feet wet or you’ll catchcold./ 2. {informal} To catch unprepared or not ready for a question orunexpected happening. •/I had not studied my lesson carefully, and theteacher’s question caught me cold./ •/The opposing team was big and sure ofwinning, and they were caught cold by the fast, hard playing of our smallerplayers./

[catch (someone) dead]{v. phr.}, {informal} To see or hear(someone) in an embarrassing act or place at any time. Used in the negativeusually in the passive. •/You won’t catch Bill dead taking his sister to themovies./ •/John wouldn’t be caught dead in the necktie he got forChristmas./

[catch fire]{v. phr.} 1. To begin to burn. •/When he dropped a matchin the leaves, they caught fire./ 2. To become excited. •/The audiencecaught fire at the speaker’s words and began to cheer./ •/His imaginationcaught fire as he read./

[catch flat-footed] See: FLAT-FOOTED(2).

[catch forty winks] See: FORTY WINKS.

[catch hold of]{v. phr.} To grasp a person or a thing. •/"I’ve beentrying to catch hold of you all week," John said, "but you were out oftown."/ •/The mountain climber successfully caught hold of his friend’shand and thereby saved his life./

[catch it] or [get it] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be scolded orpunished. — Usually used of children. •/John knew he would catch it when hecame home late for supper./ •/Wow, Johnny! When your mother sees those tornpants, you’re going to get it./ Compare: GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE. Contrast:GIVE IT TO(2).

[catch it in the neck] or [get it in the neck] {v. phr.},{slang} To be blamed or punished. •/Tom got it in the neck because heforgot to close the windows when it rained./ •/Students get it in the neckwhen they lose library books./ Compare: CATCH IT, GET WHAT’S COMING TO ONE.

[catch off balance]{v. phr.} To confront someone with physical forceor with a statement or question he or she is not prepared to answer or dealwith; to exploit the disadvantage of another. •/The smaller wrestler caughthis opponent off balance and managed to throw him on the float in spite of hisgreater weight and strength./ •/Your question has caught me off balance;please give me some time to think about your problem./

[catch off guard]{v. phr.} To challenge or confront a person at a timeof lack of preparedness or sufficient care. •/The suspect was caught offguard by the detective and confessed where he had hidden the stolen car./

[catch on]{v.}, {informal} 1. To understand; learn about. — Oftenused with "to". •/You’ll catch on to the job after you’ve been hereawhile./ •/Don’t play any tricks on Joe. When he catches on, he will beatyou./ 2. To become popular; be done or used by many people. •/The songcaught on and was sung and played everywhere./ 3. To be hired; get a job.•/The ball player caught on with a big league team last year./

[catch one’s breath]{v. phr.} 1. To breathe in suddenly with fear orsurprise. •/The beauty of the scene made him catch his breath./ Compare:TAKE ONE’S BREATH AWAY. 2a. To rest and get back your normal breathing, asafter running. •/After running to the bus stop, we sat down to catch ourbreath./ 2b. To relax for a moment after any work. •/After the day’s workwe sat down over coffee to catch our breath./

[catch one’s death of] or [take one’s death of] {v. phr.},{informal} To become very ill with (a cold, pneumonia, flu). •/Johnnyfell in the icy water and almost took his death of cold./ Sometimes used inthe short form "catch your death." •/"Johnny! Come right in here and put yourcoat and hat on. You’ll catch your death!"/

[catch one’s eye]{v. phr.} To attract your attention. •/I caught hiseye as he moved through the crowd, and waved at him to come over./ •/Thedress in the window caught her eye when she passed the store./

[catch red-handed]{v. phr.} /To apprehend a person during the act ofcommitting an illicit or criminal act./ •/Al was caught red-handed at thelocal store when he was trying to walk out with a new camera he had not paidfor./

[catch sight of]{v. phr.} To see suddenly or unexpectedly. •/Allancaught sight of a kingbird in a maple tree./ Contrast: LOSE SIGHT OF.

[catch some rays]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To get tannedwhile sunbathing. •/Tomorrow I’ll go to the beach and try to catch somerays./

[catch some Z’s]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To take a nap,to go to sleep. (Because of the "z" sound resembling snoring.) •/I want tohit the sack and catch some Z’s./

[catch-22]{n.}, {informal} From Joseph Heller’s novel "Catch-22",set in World War II. 1. A regulation or situation that is self-contradictory orthat conflicts with another regulation. In Heller’s book it referred to theregulation that flight crews must report for duty unless excused for reasons ofinsanity, but that any one claiming such an excuse must, by definition, besane. •/Government rules require workers to expose any wrongdoing in theiroffice, but the Catch-22 prevents them from their doing so, because they arenot allowed to disclose any information about their work./ 2. A paradoxicalsituation. •/The Catch-22 of job-hunting was that the factory wanted to hireonly workers who had experience making computers but the only way to get theexperience was by working at the computer factory./

[catch up]{v.} 1. To take or pick up suddenly; grab (something).•/She caught up the book from the table and ran out of the room./ 2. Tocapture or trap (someone) in a situation; concern or interest very much. — Usually used in the passive with "in". •/The Smith family was caught up inthe war in Europe and we did not see them again till it was over./ •/Wewere so caught up in the movie we forgot what time it was./ Compare: MIX UP.3. To go fast enough or do enough so as not to be behind; overtake; come even. — Often used with "to" or "with". •/Johnny ran hard and tried to catch up tohis friends./ •/Mary missed two weeks of school; she must work hard tocatch up with her class./ Compare: UP TO. 4. To find out about or get proofto punish or arrest. — Usually used with "with". •/A man told the policewhere the robbers were hiding, so the police finally caught up with them./ 5.To result in something bad; bring punishment. — Usually used with "with".•/The boy’s fighting caught up with him and he was expelled from school./•/Smoking will catch up with you./ Compare: CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST. 6.To finish; not lose or be behind. — Used with "on" and often in the phrase"get caught up on". •/Frank stayed up late to get caught up on hishomework./ •/I have to catch up on my sleep./ •/We caught up on all thelatest news when we got back to school and saw our friends again./ Syn.: KEEPUP.