catch a Tartar
Seek out something or someone that turns out to be unexpectedly unpleasant or formidable, as in Now that she finally agreed to meet with you, you just might find that you've caught a Tartar. In this term, Tartar signifies a difficult or sometimes violent individual, referring to Turkic and Mongolian invaders of Asia in the Middle Ages. [Mid-1600s]
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THE OCTOBER WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS HERE TO HAUNT YOU
Search your capacious memory for the meaning of October’s words!
Question 1 of 9
Which Word of the Day from this month means, “an irrational dislike; loathing”?
Words nearby catch a Tartar
catch, Catch-22, catchall, catch-as-catch-can, catch at, catch a Tartar, catch basin, catch cold, catch-colt, catch-cord, catch crop
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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