gotcha
17
8.7
- noun
- /ˈɡɑːtʃə/
- Literature
:
pregunta trampa
- You're attempting a "gotcha" about a claim no one here has made or will make.
- gotcha journalism
Like you, you don't do like a gotcha type thing.
- Like you, you don't do like a gotcha type thing.
- But you try your gotcha thing because you're NPR and you're woke.
- That whole setup feels terrible because it feels like a gotcha.
- An endurance test, an eternal game of gotcha.
- But then the one thing wasn't, you know, And it's like, it's just kind of the world we live in with social media now where it's like a very just gotcha game.
- So I do not like the idea of gotcha journalism.
- So what are these journals and why is it such a such a kind of gotcha to produce nonsense and have it be accepted?
Examples
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During the debate, the politician tried to avoid the gotcha questions that could embarrass him.
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I think that is widely misunderstood in the "gotcha" culture of plagiarism revelation.
Blog text (5) -
For this and other Gotcha questions, just refer to state education or whatever policy.
Blog text (29) -
"I'm not going to play 'gotcha' with one candidate and not with the other.
Blog text (21) -
An administration that lives in fear of negative polls and "gotcha" television shows is bound to be cautious.
Academic text (2000) -
However, I do agree that a couple of the recent gotcha moments haven't been well thought out.
Blog text (25) -
Journalists resort to "gotcha" questions because politicians never give you a straight answer to anything.
Blog text (2) -
John Barrasso when asked whether Biden is president-elect, Barrasso said that was a gotcha question.
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The result has been a proliferation of "gotcha" journalism and a proclivity toward what Larry Sabato dubbed "feeding frenzies."
Academic text (2000) -
The host asked a tough gotcha that caught the guest off guard during the interview.
Synonyms
7
7.4
An opening action or remark used to get an advantage and start a conversation
1
9.9
A question or problem meant to catch someone off guard
1
6.5
An act that teases or tricks someone as a joke
To surprise someone with an unexpected question or problem
Compounds
- Literature
1
8.0
A way reporters try to catch politicians making mistakes in a harsh way
How Tricky
- Literature
17
8.7
18
5.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
gotcha = got + you (semi-transparent) = got + you
Derived from 'got you' meaning 'I caught you' → a question or trap that 'gets' someone; semantic extension is clear but idiomatic and pragmatic.
Etymology
Gotcha as a noun comes from the same quick phrase got you, meaning 'I have caught you', and it became a name for a trick or question made to embarrass someone. So a gotcha is a planned move that aims to catch someone off guard.