# catch no ball

> English word · Phrase · IPA /ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/

## Definitions
1. To fail to understand something; be unable to comprehend what others are saying.

## Etymology
Calque of Hokkien 掠無球 /掠无球 (lia̍h bô kiû, “to not understand”, literally “catch no ball”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/catch-no-ball