'Caught Red-Handed': Definition, Meaning, Examples

Did someone use the phrase 'caught red-handed' and you’re wondering what it means? In this article, we’ll take a look at the meaning, origin, examples, and more.

In short:

• 'Caught red-handed' means to be found committing a crime or engaging in some act of wrongdoing. It can be used either seriously or in a jocular manner, depending on the context.

What Does 'Caught Red-Handed' Mean?

If someone is 'caught red-handed,' it means they were discovered in the act of committing a crime. The phrase implies that there is clear evidence that the person is guilty, as they were witnessed by another person in the act of wrongdoing.

• This phrase is commonly used in English and can be used in a humorous or hyperbolic manner.

When someone says that they 'caught you red-handed,' they aren't necessarily accusing you of some heinous crime. In most cases, in casual conversation, the meaning will be jocular and light-hearted.

For example, let's say your best friend is trying to leave you flowers for your birthday outside your front door. She hopes you won't see her making this gesture, but you happen to walk out to get the paper at the same time. You could use the phrase:

• 'I caught you red-handed!' to express in a joking manner that you caught her in the act of the 'crime' of doing something kind and thoughtful.

Where Does 'Caught Red-Handed' Come From?

Though many idioms undergo significant changes in meaning over the years, 'caught red-handed' has maintained the same definition for quite some time.

• The origin of this phrase is most commonly identified as dating back to 15th century Scotland.
• It is believed that it likely came about as a phrase in reference to a person having hands stained with blood.

The first time our idiom was used in print shows up in Scottish Acts of Parliament of James I from 1432 and was afterward used in Scottish legal proceedings to describe people who were caught in the act when committing a crime.

Alternative Origin Theories

There is another origin story regarding this phrase. This one comes from a Northern Irish myth from Ulster. In the story, the next king was to be chosen based on the results of a boat race.

According to the rules of the game, the first person to touch the shore would be crowned king. One man was so determined to become king that he cut off his own hand and threw it to the shore.

The Idiom In Ivanhoe

The first recorded use of the phrase 'taken red-handed' to describe someone who was apprehended when found actually committing a crime shows up in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe from 1819.

Use in Text Over Time

Using the Google Books Ngram Viewer, we see that 'caught red-handed' has been in use for pretty much the entire two-hundred-year span that Google searches texts.

One of the earliest examples that shows up using the Ngram Viewer is from the 1890 text Cobbett's Parliamentary Debates. In this publication, we find the following phrase:

"So that you have in the same Court a land-grabber guilty of stabbing let out on his own recognisances, though he had stabbed a man, and a Town Councillor sentenced to six months' imprisonment merely for cherring some prisoners. I can prove to the House cases in which men have been caught red-handed in willful murder, and let off by these very Crown Solicitors."

Another example appears in Munsey's Magazine in a story called "Blue Pete's Escape" from 1906:

"Out on the street the safe-blowers were marched, with certain doom before them. They had been caught red-handed, and punishment would be sure and swift. At the corner the patrol-box was rung, and they waited in grim silence."

Examples of 'Caught Red-Handed' In Sentences

How would 'caught red-handed' be used in a sentence? Let’s take a look at some examples:

• "The turning point of the story was really when the protagonist proclaimed that he had caught his nemesis red-handed in the act of trying to sabotage the event."
• "They're not concerned about getting caught red-handed. Heck, they want us to know what they're up to."
• "I had a dream where my teacher caught me red-handed when I stole an apple from her desk. What do you think that means?"
• "I cannot believe you let them catch us red-handed planning their surprise party. You were supposed to warn us when they were on their way home!"
• "I caught Sally red-handed looking at her ex-boyfriend's social media. She says she has gotten over him, but it really doesn't seem like she's telling the truth."

Other Ways to Say 'Caught Red-Handed'

What are some other words and phrases that have a similar meaning to 'caught red-handed'?

Here are some options:

• Caught with your hand in the cookie jar
• Caught in the act
• Busted

Final Thoughts About 'Caught Red-Handed'

If you get 'caught red-handed,' it means that someone discovered you committing some type of wrongdoing. This phrase can be used seriously or in jest and is thought to stem from 15th-century Scotland.

Are you ready to learn more English phrases and expand your vocabulary? Be sure to check out our idioms blog for idioms, expressions, sayings, and more!