catch a Tartar

Idioms  

1. 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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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catch a Tartar

V. be deceived &c 545, be the dupe of; fall into a trap; swallow the bait, nibble at the bait; bite, catch a Tartar.

From Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget

To catch a Tartar; to attack one of superior strength or abilities.

From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose

But even the best of his men were pretty well worn out when they did at last catch a Tartar in the shape of the enemy's rearguard.

From The Long White Cloud by William Pember Reeves

You know there's an old saying that if you find a Russian you catch a Tartar . . . or something like that.

From Hermione's Group of Thinkers by Don Marquis

There are many of them about the worst on board; but if we have fine weather, they won’t have much to do, and we may hope not to catch a Tartar on the way.

From Paddy Finn by Archibald Webb