caught flat-footed

Caught unprepared, taken by surprise, as in The reporter's question caught the President flat-footed. This usage comes from one or another sport in which a player should be on his or her toes, ready to act. [c. 1900]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Japik	-	Frisian (Rare)
Elah	-	Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Lucy	LOO-see	English
Norma	NAWR-mə (English)	English, Italian, Literature
Alli	AHL-lee	Finnish
Barbour	['ba:bə]