Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: To deal with a person who is more than one's match
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This idiom based question asks for the meaning of the expression Catch a tartar. Idioms are fixed expressions whose meanings cannot be understood simply by translating the words one by one. This particular idiom comes from older English, and it is still used in literature and formal writing to describe an unexpectedly difficult or powerful opponent or situation.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Historically, the idiom Catch a tartar referred to trying to capture a fierce warrior and then discovering that the captor could not easily handle the captured person. In modern use, it describes a situation where someone thinks they are dealing with an ordinary or weaker opponent but instead encounters someone much stronger, cleverer, or more troublesome than expected. Therefore, Catch a tartar is about dealing with a person who is more than one match, not merely about catching any dangerous person or criminal.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the general idea associated with this idiom meeting a much stronger or more troublesome opponent than expected.Step 2: Examine option B To deal with a person who is more than one match. This fits the central meaning of the idiom very closely.Step 3: Consider option A To catch a dangerous person. While the person may indeed be dangerous, the essence of the idiom is not simply the danger but the mismatch of strength.Step 4: Check option C To trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty. This focuses on difficulty in catching a criminal, which is not the specific idea of the idiom.Step 5: Look at option D To live carefully and cautiously, which has no connection with the idea of catching or dealing with a powerful opponent.Step 6: Conclude that option B gives the most accurate explanation of the idiom.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider an example: A manager who bullies staff may unexpectedly hire a new employee who firmly resists unfair treatment. Colleagues might say The manager has caught a tartar this time, meaning he now has to deal with someone stronger than usual. This fits exactly with option B. The focus is on the surprise that the person is more difficult to handle than expected, rather than on the process of catching a criminal or living cautiously.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
To catch a dangerous person describes an act but does not capture the key idea that the catcher cannot easily manage the person. To trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty adds details about criminal status and level of effort that do not belong to the idiom. To live carefully and cautiously is unrelated to the theme of facing an unexpectedly strong opponent. These options therefore fail to reflect the idiomatic meaning preserved in dictionaries and exam guides.
Common Pitfalls:
Students may focus too literally on the word catch and think only of police or criminals, which leads them towards options A or C. Others may never have seen the word tartar and guess randomly. A good strategy when dealing with unfamiliar idioms in exams is to remember that they often describe typical human situations, like underestimating an opponent, rather than very specific events like trapping a wanted criminal.
Final Answer:
The idiom Catch a tartar means to deal with a person who is more than one match.
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