makesomeonehardtocatch (third-person singular simple presentmakes someone hard to catch,present participlemaking someone hard to catch,simple past and past participlemade someone hard to catch)
- (colloquial, dated) Toget rid of someone, especially in an unpleasant way.
1906,Coopers International Journal, volumes15-16, page156:I hope that we have no such men in Local No. 163. If we have, we willmake them hard to catch when we find them out.
1906,McClure's Magazine, volume26, page419:Then the boss stuck up a sign that said: / Public Water-hole. Water Free. / "Now you old skin," says he to Texas Pete, "charge all you want to on your own property. But if I ever hear of your layin' claim to this other hole, I'll suremake you hard to catch."
1915, Peter B. Kyne,The Parson of Panamint:She says he understands her; an' first thing her an' Crabapple gets to arguin' religion, an' Liz, she warns the Crabapple if he ever gets drunk round the parson, an' she gets well an' finds it out, she'll shoremake him hard to catch.
1920, Dane Coolidge,Wunpost, page28:I'm going to be there, myself, and I'm going to borrow that pistol that you stuck in my ribs the other night; and the first yap that touches a corner or crosses my line I'llmake him hard to catch.
1924, Peter Bernard Kyne,The Enchanted Hill, page288:But there'll be four of us to take care of Purdy's men before you show up in Arguello. We'llmake them hard to catch.
