to catch a weasel asleep
Preserved but no longer current.
To expect to find a very vigilant person off his guard ; to suppose that one who has his weather-eye open cannot see what is passing before him. The vigilant habits of these animals explain the allusion.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to catch a weasel asleep” mean?
To expect to find a very vigilant person off his guard ; to suppose that one who has his weather-eye open cannot see what is passing before him. The vigilant habits of these animals explain the allusion.
Is “to catch a weasel asleep” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.