My Two Cents ... XIV

Today's phrase is:

"to be caught red-handed"

What does it mean?

This common phrase means that someone is caught in the act. It can be anything wrong, from being caught having sex (with the best friend's wife...) to being caught at stealing.

Where does it come from?

The explanation which sounds most likely to me is that it originated during the 15th century in Scotland and was used to refer to someone who was caught in the act of murdering someone or just afterwards, with his victim's blood still on his hands. If you want to read more about other possible origins, I will refer you to Angela Russell's article on it this time to give her the credit due.

My two cents on this:

I really think that the Scots might have coined the phrase. Although some of the other explanations Angela Russell found out seem probable as well, I think that catching a murderer with his victim's blood on his hands is exactly what this idiom expresses. It is a literal describtion of the situation as well as the exact meaning of the idiom.