"_Catching a Tartar_" (Vol. vi., p. 317.).--This common and expressive
saying is thus explained in Arvine's _Cyclopædia_:
"In some battle between the Russians and the Tartars, who are a wild
sort of people in the north of Asia, a private soldier called out,
'Captain, halloo there! I've caught a Tartar!' 'Fetch him along then,'
said the Captain. 'Ay, but he won't let me,' said the man. And the fact
was the Tartar had caught him. So when a man thinks to take another in,
and gets himself bit, they say he's caught a Tartar."
Grose says that this saying originated with an Irish soldier who was in the
"Imperial," that is, I suppose he means the Austrian service. This is
hardly probable; the Irish are made to father many sayings which do not
rightly belong to them, and this I think may be safely written as one among
the number.
EIRIONNACH has now two references before him, Grose's _Glossary_ and
Arvine's _Cyclopædia_, in which his Query is partly explained, if he can
but find the dates of their publication. In this search I regret I cannot
assist him, as neither of these works are to be found in the libraries of
this island; at least thus far I have not been able to meet with them.