To catch some rays

Context #1:

Gina: Hi, Will! It
looks like you caught some rays on the weekend.

Will: I sure did! My
friend and I went to Huntington Beach on Saturday. We played in an all-day beach volleyball
tournament!




Context #2:

Linda: Joan, where
were you?

Joan: Oh, it is such a
nice day. I went out to catch some rays.

Linda: I see that. Did
you fall asleep?

Joan: Yes. It was so
warm and comfortable.

Linda: And were you
reading?

Joan: Yes! How did you
know?

Linda: It looks like
an open book fell on your face; the bottom half of your face is pale and the
top half is tanned. 

Joan: Oh, no!

Meaning: To be in the sunshine. In this case “catch” means receive and “rays” means the sun’s energy. If you “catch some rays,” then, you are outside on a sunny day. For most North Americans, “catching some rays” is a positive, healthy experience. 

https://languagesystems.edu/