catch a cold

Verb

catch a cold (third-person singular simple present catches a cold, present participle catching a cold, simple past and past participle caught a cold)

1. (idiomatic) To contract a cold.
2. (idiomatic) To encounter difficulties.
   • Don't catch a cold because of the state pension freeze.2014 March 22, Rupert Jones, “Retiring abroad? Don't catch a cold because of the state pension freeze”, in The Guardian
   • If the U.S. goes into recession in 2021, the rest of the world is expected to catch a cold.2018 February 14, Gary Howes, “British Pound to Languish Below 1.10 vs. Euro as Recession Beckons in 2021 say Scandinavian Economists”, in Pound Sterling