catch on

En français : se répandre

1. Chiefly in the form catch oneself on: to cause (oneself) to get or regain a proper appreciation of a situation; to behave in the expected, sensible way; to stop fooling around or being silly. (informal)
2. Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold. (intransitive)
3. Of food being cooked: to become stuck to the cooking vessel and brown or burn slightly. (dated, intransitive)
4. Of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular; also, to become established as standard; to become commonplace. (intransitive) · It’s a crummy idea, and I certainly hope it doesn’t catch on.· At first, many people didn’t like that kind of music, but after a while it caught on.
5. Followed by to: to recognize the potential of something; also, to take advantage of or use something (especially an idea, a trend, etc.). (intransitive)
6. Chiefly followed by to: to (begin to) understand; to realize. (informal, intransitive) · He didn’t have to explain; I caught on right away.· She’s been catching on pretty well.