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imchongjun
Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 120
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject: you can't catch me on that |
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Hello, teachers.
Could you tell me what this expression means?
You can't catch me on that.
or
You can't catch me on that one.
I checked several passages in which this expression is used, but am not quite sure of its meaning. Thanks! |
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buddhaheart
Joined: 13 Jan 2007 Posts: 195 Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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Depending on the context, �catch� could mean �hold, seize, penalize, arrest, apprehend, reprimand, fail & etc� in both of your sentences.
If you want us to nail down the answer for you, please provide full context. |
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2006
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 610
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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"catch me" can also mean trick me, fool me. |
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imchongjun
Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 120
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject: you can't catch me on that |
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Hi, buddhaheart and 2006. Thank you for your replies. So "you can't catch me on that" can hame many meaning!
The particular instance I have in mind is as follows:
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(This is a scene of seance. The first person asks questions to a medium)
"Do you know that Arthur Wells is dead?"
"Yes. He is dead."
"Did he kill himself?"
"You can't catch me on that. I don't know."
Here the medium laughed. It was horrible. And the laughter made
the whole thing absurd. But it died away quickly.
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2006 says "catch me" can mean "trick me". So I think the above example means "you can't trick me into saying who killed Arthur Wells", but am I right? |
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2006
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 610
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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I think that the medium means that the questioner can't trick her into giving a wrong answer and thereby exposing that she is a fraud, like all 'mediums' are. |
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