catch at a bad time
catch (one) at a bad time
To encounter or try to communicate or work with someone at an inopportune time, such as when they are busy or preoccupied. I'll definitely help you with that report later—you just happened to catch me at a bad time right now. If Dean was grumpy, you probably just caught him at a bad time. A: "Did I catch you at a bad time?" B: "Yeah, I'm sorry, but if I don't leave right this second, I'm going to miss the train."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
catch someone at a bad time
to attempt to speak or deal with someone at a time inconvenient for that person. I'm sorry. You look busy. Did I catch you at a bad time?
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.