caught off guard

Republicans were caught off-guard all campaign long and their response was atrocious.

And not in an interview, as was the case with Akin, who was caught off-guard, but in a prepared speech!

Nicholas McCarthy, director of The Pact, was caught off-guard when he learned Casper Van Dien wanted to be in his movie.

Even people who have lived in Colorado all of their lives always seem to be caught off-guard when the weather changes.

She flew in from Chicago to take care of my sick grandmother and, like so many others, was caught off-guard by the demonstrations.

Joy is a lady of the finest breeding, but she can be caught off-guard at times.