fair catch
A catch of a kicked football by a player after he holds up his hand to show that he will not run with the ball.
He saw that he would not be able to run with the ball, so he signalled for a fair catch.
flat-footed
catch flat-footed
Straightforward; forthright; direct; outright.
The governor issued a flat-footed denial of the accusation.
He came out flat-footed against the idea.
Not ready; not prepared; Usually used with catch.
The teacher's question caught Tim flat-footed.
Unexpected company at lunch time caught Mrs. Green flat-footed.
forty winks
catch forty winks
A short period of sleep; a nap.
Короткий период для отдыха, сна.
When the truck driver felt sleepy, he stopped by the side of the road to catch forty winks.
Dad likes to have forty winks after a game of golf.
Папа любит подремать после игры в гольф.
I caught forty winks after the dinner as I was really tired.
Я немного вздремнул после обеда, так как был очень уставшим.
grasp at straws
clutch at straws
catch at a straw
To depend on something that is useless or unable to help in a time of trouble or danger; try something with little hope of succeeding.
To depend on your memory without studying for a test is to grasp at straws.
The robber clutched at straws to make excuses. He said he wasn't in the country when the robbery happened.
shoestring catch
A catch of a hit baseball just before it hits the ground.
The left fielder made a shoestring catch of a line drive to end the inning.