catch one's death

present singular third person catches one's death · participle present catching one's death · participle past caught one's death · past caught one's death

1. idiomaticTo contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.

   Now Linda's catching her death outside in nothing but her nightie.

   1998, George Packer, Central Square, ch. 1 (New York Times reprint)

   4 more examples

   "You'll get drenched to the skin—You'll catch your death!" said Peechy Prauw, affectionately.

   1824, Washington Irving, “The Adventure of Sam, the Black Fisherman”, in Tales of a Traveller

   "My eye as like! you don't think I'm such a fool as to catch my death of cold, and let the horses catch their death too."

   1848, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 6, in Mary Barton

   "You shall trudge away, and do your errands in the rain, and if you catch your death and ruin your bonnet, it's no more than you deserve."

   1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 46, in Little Women

   Carla left him weeping in the rain, soaked to the skin, in his trademark tight white shirt. He may yet catch his death.

   2009 February 9, Gareth McLean, “Culture: An epic weekend in TV”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 14 Sep 2017