Caught napping

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Meaning

Caught off-guard or unprepared, dozing at the wrong moment.

Origin

From 16th-century England, tied to hunting; dogs 'napping' missed prey, as in a 1577 text on slack hounds. By the 17th century, it hit humans, as in a 1685 diary of a dozing guard nabbed.

Usage Examples

  • We were caught napping when the quiz started early.
  • He got caught napping and missed the deadline.
  • The team was caught napping by their sneak attack.

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