catch it

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

catch it (third-person singular simple present catches it, present participle catching it, simple past and past participle caught it)

1. (idiomatic) To be severely reprimanded, punished, or beaten.
   • 1860, George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss:

     "You'll catch it, you know," said Tom, nodding his head in an admonitory manner, and hesitating a little as he took the scissors.

   • a. 1887, George Bernard Shaw, An Unsocial Socialist

     If they beat us, we shall catch it, and serve us right.

   • 2003, Sid Fleischman, The Whipping Boy, page 39:

     I'll catch it for your mischief in running away. And I'll catch it again when the tutor claps eyes on the handwriting.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see catch,‎ it.

Synonyms

• cop it
• catch hell
• get it

Translations

to be scolded or chastised

• French: (colloquial, France) se faire appeler Arthur (fr), (colloquial) se faire sonner les cloches (fr), (informal) se faire tirer les oreilles (fr), (France, informal) se faire remonter les bretelles (fr), (colloquial) se faire enguirlander