Catch a Tartar.

The biter bit. Grose says an Irish soldier in the Imperial service, in a battle against the Turks, shouted to his comrade that he had caught a Tartar. “Bring him along, then,” said his mate. “But he wonʹt come,” cried Paddy. “Then come along yourself,” said his comrade. “Arrah!” replied Paddy, “I wish I could, but he wonʹt let me.”

We are like the man who boasted of having caught a Tartar, when the fact was that the Tartar had caught him.”—Cautions for the Times.

previous entry · index · next entry

Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

Cats
Catacomb
Cataian
Catalogue Raisonné (French)
Catamaran
Cataphrygians
Catarrh
Catastrophe
Catch
Catch a Crab (To)
Catch a Tartar
Catch as Catch can
Catch Me at It!
Catch the Speaker’s Eye (To)
Catch Out (To)
Catch your Hare (First)
Catch-Club
Catehpenny
Catchpole
Catch Weights
Catch-word