Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

catch a tartar

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.88 in modern English

Syllables: catch a -tar-tar
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To discover someone is much stronger, much more dangerous, or much more violent than they appeared at first, especially after laying hands on them

Archaic; Colloquial

verb

To fail in attempt to rob someone who turns out to be a stronger robber.

Obsolete

verb

To discover someone who cannot be controlled or disposed of more generally.

Archaic; Colloquial

Example Sentences

"Now thou hast got me for a Tartar, To make m 'gainst my will take quarter."
"What a Tartar have I caught!"
"Tell him, if he try, he may catch a Tartar."
"You must give up flirting, my boy, or if I mistake not, you'll find you've caught a Tartar."

Usage

Inflected Forms

catches a Tartar (present, singular) catching a Tartar (participle, present) caught a Tartar (participle, past) caught a Tartar (past)

Synonyms

get someone for a Tartar

Questions

What does catch a tartar mean?: To discover someone is much stronger, much more dangerous, or much more violent than they appeared at first, especially after laying hands on them

How to pronounce catch a tartar

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “catch a tartar”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “catch a tartar”.
Repeat and practice — Say “catch a tartar” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.