catch fire | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)To become engulfed inflames, tocombust.Synonyms:go up in flames,go up in smoke;see alsoThesaurus:combust2023November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, inRAIL, number996, page30:Ships' logs noted observations of the northern lights as far south as the Caribbean, and telegraph systems across the world were disrupted as electrical currents were induced in the copper lines. Several telegraph operators received electric shocks and some telegraph stations evencaught fire.; (figurative)To become very popular or widespread; totake off.2002, Latifa Al-Zayyat, Marilyn Booth,The Open Door, page 9:The newscaught firethrough the school, and Layla found herself — a mere first-year student at the secondary school — the center of attention and admiration.; (figurative)To beinspiredbypassionorzeal.

Examples:

EN: I see that car ahead catch fire. Like Spud's did. I did that, that was my fault!
ES: Veo que el coche de delante estalla en llamas, lo de Spud fue culpa mía.
EN: The plane can't catch fire or explode.
ES: El avión no puede incendiarse ni explotar.
EN: Have you ever felt your brain catch fire and a curious, dreadful thing go right through your body, down, down to your very toes, and leave you with your ears ringing?
ES: ¿Alguna vez sentiste tu cabeza arder en llamas... y algo extraño y terrible recorrer tu cuerpo... hasta la punta de tus pies, dejándote un tintineo en los oídos?
EN: You catch fire!
ES: Tu coger fuego!
EN: Now the whole place will catch fire.
ES: ¡A ver si se incendia la habitacion! .
EN: Oh, Munroe, might be advisable afterwards if the trading post were to catch fire.
ES: Oh, Munroe, puede ser aconsejable después si el puesto comercial se incendiaba.
EN: You wouldn't like to have this joint of yours catch fire some night, would you?
ES: ¿Te gustaría que se incendiara tu local una noche de estas?
EN: If I paint a wall, it's as good as asking it to catch fire or be struck by lightning.
ES: Si pinto una pared, es como pedirle que se prenda fuego o le parta un rayo.
EN: No, I'll catch fire.
ES: No, cogeré fuego.
EN: I built me a new jail in my courthouse this year... and if during the course of your stay here something, anything at all... should happen to catch fire...
ES: Construí una nueva cárcel en mi juzgado este año.
EN: Only needed the Earth to catch fire.
ES: Sólo se necesitó que la Tierra se incendiase.
EN: The clothes catch fire first. So the man is left naked.
ES: La ropa se quema primero y el hombre se queda desnudo.
EN: If this building is hit, the chances are a hundred to one that it'll catch fire.
ES: Si le dan al edificio, las posibilidades de incendio son de 100 a 1.
EN: It could catch fire, and there's barely any water in the Landes.
ES: Podría prenderse fuego, y apenas hay agua en los Landes.
EN: But my shyness was paralyzing. The spark didn't catch fire.
ES: La timidez me paralizaba y la chispa no surgió.

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