CATCH COLD

v. phr. 1. To get a common cold-weather sickness that causes a running nose, sneezing, and sometimes sore throat and fever or other symptoms. Don't get your feet wet or you'll catch cold. 2. informal To catch unprepared or not ready for a question or unexpected happening. I had not studied my lesson carefully, and the teacher's question caught me cold. The opposing team was big and sure of winning, and they were caught cold by the fast, hard playing of our smaller players.