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caught short

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caught short

 

1. left without any money temporarily. I'm caught a little short. Can I borrow a few bucks?

2. pregnant and unmarried. Both of Jane's sisters got caught short before they graduated high school.

See also: caught, short

caught short

not prepared for something Airlines were caught short of fuel because of the oil workers' strike.

Usage notes: often used when someone does not have enough money: The cash machines aren't working and I'm really caught short.

See also: caught, short

caught short

Found to be lacking something one needs, especially money, as in Can you pay the check? I seem to be caught short. This idiom uses short in the sense of "lacking money," a usage dating from the early 1500s.

See also: caught, short