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
Forbes	['fɔ:bz]
Michelina	mee-ke-LEE-nah	Italian
HipÓLito	ee-PO-lee-to (Spanish)	Spanish, Portuguese
Matfey	maht-VYAY	Russian
Erez	-	Hebrew
Marlowe	MAHR-lo	English (Rare)