napping

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see catch napping.

QUIZZES

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

Shockingly, this last couplet made it into the 1953 film version; someone was napping over at MGM.
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive|Laurence Maslon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Somewhere beyond the Wall, networks of British and American and French and West German secret agents had been caught napping.
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece|John le Carré|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anyone who works hours other than the traditional 9-to-5 can reap benefits from napping, too.
13 Tips for the Best Nap Ever|DailyBurn|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They happened at night and in the day, waking or napping, traveling, or working.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But a vacation does not count as a family vacation if dad is napping.
Why I Hate The Beach|P. J. O’Rourke|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The misguided nobleman was taken napping in a dry ditch, with the George and 200 guineas in his pocket.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
This prompted our common sense to return to us, and we remembered that Andrew Lewis was too cool and shrewd to be caught napping.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
It is a wicked joy to catch such a scholarly writer as Mackenzie napping.
The Treatment of Hay Fever|George Frederick Laidlaw
No, George, Tom Weasel isn't caught napping twice in the same year.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
We fished a clean half-quintal; then, late in the day, a rising wind caught us napping in Hell Alley.
The Cruise of the Shining Light|Norman Duncan