Question

Choose the correct meaning of the following idiom: To catch a tartar

• A. To trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty
• B. To catch a dangerous person
• C. To meet with disaster
• D. To deal with a person who is more than one's match

Hint:

When learning idioms, try to understand their figurative meanings rather than interpreting them literally.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the idiom.
The idiom "to catch a tartar" refers to engaging with a person who is more difficult to handle or more powerful than expected. It usually means encountering a challenge or an opponent that turns out to be stronger or tougher than anticipated.

Step 2: Analyzing the options.
(A) To trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty: This is not the correct meaning of the idiom.
(B) To catch a dangerous person: This is not the correct interpretation of the idiom.
(C) To meet with disaster: This does not directly convey the intended meaning of the idiom.
(D) To deal with a person who is more than one's match: Correct — This is the correct meaning of the idiom, implying dealing with someone tougher than expected.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (D) To deal with a person who is more than one's match.

Answer 2

This idiom is about an unpleasant surprise in a confrontation, someone thought to be easy to handle turns out to be much tougher instead. Let's test each option against that sense:

1. To trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty: This describes an actual difficult capture of a criminal, a literal law-enforcement scenario, not the figurative sense of being outmatched by an opponent.
2. To catch a dangerous person: This is close in flavour, mentioning danger, but it still reads as a literal act of catching someone, rather than the figurative idea of getting into a situation with someone tougher than expected.
3. To meet with disaster: This is too broad and generic, the idiom is specifically about an opponent or adversary, not misfortune in general.
4. To deal with a person who is more than one's match: This exactly captures the figurative meaning, expecting an easy opponent and instead finding somebody stronger or more capable.

The first two options read the idiom too literally around "catching" someone, and the third loses the "opponent" sense entirely, leaving only the option that captures the figurative meaning of encountering an unexpectedly tough adversary.

Therefore, the correct answer is To deal with a person who is more than one's match.