American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

rapidly. This idiom transfers the establishment of a plant, whose roots settle into the earth, to other matters. [Late 1500s]

take shape Also, shape up. Turn out, develop, acquire a distinctive form, as in Her reelection campaign is already taking shape, two years before the election, or Can you tell us how the book is shaping up? The first term dates from the mid-1700s and the variant, originally put as shape out, from about 1600.

take sick

hand. see GET SICK.

take sides Also, take someone's side. Support or favor one party in a dispute, as in Parents shouldn't take sides in their children's quarrels, or Thanks for taking my side concerning the

agenda. [c. 1700] Also see TAKE SOMEONE'S PART.

take some doing

hand. see TAKE DOING.

take someone at his or her word Also, take someone's word for. Accept what someone says on trust, as in Since he said he'd agree to any of my ideas, I'll take him at his word, or She said she wanted to help out and I took her word for it. This idiom appeared in Miles Coverdale's translation of the Bible: "He said . . . he is my brother. And the men took him shortly at his word" (I Kings 22:33). It is still so used. [1535]

take someone for a ride

1. Cheat or deliberately mislead someone, as in Car salesmen will take you for a ride in more ways than one! [Colloquial; c. 1920] 2. Murder someone, as in The gang threatened to take him for a ride. [Slang; 1920] Both usages allude to taking a person for an automobile ride.

take someone in

hand. see TAKE IN, def. 5.

take someone's life

1.Kill someone, as in They argued about invoking the death penalty for taking someone's life.

[c. 1300]

2.take one's own life. Commit suicide, as in Most churches have long opposed taking one's own life. [First half of 1900s] 3. take one's life in one's hands. Take a serious risk, as in

Climbing without oxygen is really taking your life in your hands.

take someone's measure Also, take the measure of someone. Size someone up, evaluate someone or something, as in At their first meeting, heads of state generally try to take each other's measure, or The voters are taking the measure of the union's demands. [Mid-1600s]

take someone's name in vain

Speak casually or idly of someone, as in There he goes, taking my name in vain again. This idiom originated as a translation from the Latin of the Vulgate Bible (Exodus 20:7), "to take God's name in vain," and for a time was used only to denote blasphemy and profanity. In the early 1700s it began to be used more loosely as well.

take someone's part

Stand up for or support someone, as in Thanks for taking my part against the supervisor. This idiom uses part in the sense of "side in a dispute." It was first recorded in 1732, although a different version, take part with, dates from the early 1400s. Also see TAKE SIDES; TAKE

PART.

take someone's point

Understand what someone is saying, concede the truth of what someone said, as in Am I taking your point correctly when you say you disagree but do not object? [Late 1800s]

take someone's word for

hand. see TAKE SOMEONE AT HIS OR HER WORD.

take something

hand. see under TAKE IT.

take something on faith

hand. see ON FAITH.

takes one to know one

hand. see IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE.

take steps

Begin a course of action, as in The town is taking steps to provide better street lights, or They took steps to keep their plans secret. [Early 1600s]

take stock

Make an estimate or appraisal, as in We have to take stock of our finances before we can undertake a new project, or The career counselor advised Mark to take stock before changing his plans. This expression transfers making an inventory of goods (stock) to other kinds of appraisal. [Early 1800s]

take stock in

Trust, believe, attach importance to, as in He exaggerates so much that I don't take stock in anything he says. This term uses stock in the sense of "capital." [Second half of 1800s]

takes two

hand. see IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO.

take the bit in one's mouth Also, take the bit between one's teeth. Throw off restraints and proceed on a headlong course, take control. For example, My partner took the bit in his mouth and bid a grand slam, or Jane took the bit between her teeth and now there's no stopping her. This idiom alludes to the bit, the metal mouthpiece of a bridle whereby a rider controls a horse. [c. 1600]

take the bitter with the sweet

Accept adversity as well as good fortune, as in Although he got the job, he hadn't counted on having to work with Matthew; he'll just have to take the bitter with the sweet. This idiom uses bitter for "bad" and sweet for "good," a usage dating from the late 1300s. It was first recorded in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection. For a synonym, see TAKE THE ROUGH WITH THE

SMOOTH.

take the bread out of someone's mouth

Deprive someone of his or her livelihood, as in Lowering wages is taking the bread out of the workers' mouths. [c. 1700]

take the bull by the horns

Confront a problem head-on, as in We'll have to take the bull by the horns and tackle the Medicare question. This term most likely alludes to grasping a safely tethered bull, not one the matador is fighting in the ring. [c. 1800]

take the cake

Be the most outstanding in some respect, either the best or the worst. For example, That advertising slogan really took the cake, or What a mess they made of the concert?

that takes the cake! This expression alludes to a contest called a cakewalk, in which a cake is the prize. Its figurative use, for something either excellent or outrageously bad, dates from the 1880s.

take the edge off

Ease or assuage, make less severe, as in That snack took the edge off our hunger, or Her kind manner took the edge off her refusal. This term alludes to blunting the edge of a cutting instrument. Shakespeare used it figuratively in The Tempest (4:1): "To take away the edge of that day's celebration." The precise wording of the idiom dates from the first half of the 1900s.

take the fall

Incur blame or censure for another's misdeeds, as in She's taken the fall for you in terms of any political damage, or A senior official took the fall for the failed intelligence operation. This expression originated in the 1920s as underworld slang. It began to be extended to less criminal kinds of blame in the second half of the 1900s. Also see

take the field

Enter a competition, as in The country's best spellers took the field in the na

tional spelling bee. This term originated around 1600 when it meant "to open a military campaign." The field here is the field of battle. The term has been used figuratively almost as long, the first recorded use being in 1614.

take the Fifth

Refuse to answer on the grounds that one may incriminate oneself, as in He took the Fifth on so many of the prosecutor's questions that we're sure he's guilty. This idiom refers to the Fifth Amendment to the U.

S. Constitution, which states that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself or herself. [Mid-1900s]

take the floor

Rise to speak formally to an assembled group, as in After that long introduction, the treasurer took the floor. This idiom uses floor in the sense of "right to speak," in turn derived from its meaning as the part of the legislature from which members address the group. [c. 1800]

take the heat

Endure severe censure or criticism, as in He was known for being able to take the heat during a crisis. This idiom uses heat in the sense of "intense pressure," as in IF YOU CAN'T STAND

THE HEAT GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN. [First half of 1900s]

take the initiative

Begin a task or plan of action, as in The boss was on vacation when they ran out of materials, so Julie took the initiative and ordered more. This term uses initiative in the sense of "the power to originate something," a usage dating from the late 1700s.

take the law into one's hands Also, take the law into one's own hands. Replace the established authority with one's own, as in While the captain was on shore the sailors took the law into their own hands and sneaked the prisoner off the ship. Generally indicating disapproval of doing something forbidden, this idiom was first recorded in 1606.

take the liberty of

Act on one's own authority without permission from another, as in I took the liberty of forwarding the mail to his summer address. It is also put as take the liberty to, as in He took the liberty to address the Governor by her first name. This rather formal locution was first recorded in 1625 and does not imply the opprobrium of the similar-sounding TAKE LIBERTIES.

take the load off Sit down, relax, as in I wish you'd take some time and take the load off. A shortening of take the load off one's feet, this colloquial phrase dates from about 1940. It is sometimes put as take a load off.

take the plunge

Venture something, commit oneself, as in You've been living together for a year, so when are you going to take the plunge and get married? It is also put as make the plunge, plunge alluding to diving in a body of water. [Mid-1800s]

take the pulse of Also, feel the pulse of. Try to determine the intentions or sentiments of a person or group, as in These exit polls allegedly take the pulse of the voters, but I don't believe they're very meaningful. [First half of 1600s] Also see FEEL OUT.

take the rap

Be punished or blamed for something, as in I don't want to take the rap for Mary, who forgot to mail the check in time, or Steve is such a nice guy that he's always taking the rap for his colleagues. This slangy idiom originally used rap in the sense of "a criminal charge," a usage still current. By the mid-1900s it was also used more broadly.

take the rough with the smooth

Accept the bad along with the good, as in You can't expect to close a lot of sales every week?

you have to take the rough with the smooth. This adage was first recorded about 1400. Also see

TAKE THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET.

take the starch out of

Deflate or ridicule someone, as in That practical joke at the office party really took the starch out of Nick. This expression, first recorded in 1840, alludes to the starch used to stiffen a shirt.

take the sting out of

Lessen the severity or unpleasantness of something, as in That senior citizen discount took the sting out of the airfares. [Mid-1800s]

take the trouble

hand. see GO TO THE TROUBLE.

take the wind out of one's sails

Hamper or stop one, put one at a disadvantage, as in When they announced they were doing the same study as ours, it took the wind out of our sails, or The applause for the concertmaster took the wind out of the conductor's sails. This expression alludes to sailing to windward of another ship, thereby robbing it of wind for its sails. [Early 1800s]

take the words out of someone's mouth

Anticipate what someone is about to say; also, completely agree with someone. For example,

When you mentioned her dislike of fish you took the words right out of my mouth, or You took the words out of my mouth when you said he was stupid. This idiom was first recorded in 1574.

take the wrong way Also, take amiss. Misunderstand, misinterpret, especially so as to take offense. For example, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but you have to give others a

chance to speak, or Please don't take their criticism amiss; they mean well. The variant dates from the late 1300s. Also see GET SOMEONE WRONG.

take to

1. Have recourse to, go to, as in They took to the woods. [c. 1200] 2. Develop as a habit or steady practice, as in He took to coming home later and later. [c. 1300] 3. Become fond of, like, as in I took to him immediately, or The first time she skied she took to it. This expression, from the mid-1700s, is sometimes expanded to take to it like a duck to water, a simile dating from the late 1800s. 4. take to be. Understand, consider, or assume, as in I took it to be the right entrance. [Mid-1500s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with TAKE TO.

take to heart

Be deeply moved or affected or upset by, as in I know you'll take these comments about your story to heart, or She really took that college rejection to heart. [c. 1300]

take to one's heels

Run away, as in When the burglar alarm went off they took to their heels. This expression alludes to the fact that the heels are all one sees of a fugitive running away fast. Although similar expressions turned up from Shakespeare's time on, the exact idiom dates only from the first half of the 1800s. Also see SHOW ONE'S HEELS.

take to task

Upbraid, scold; blame or censure. For example, The teacher took Doris to task for turning in such a sloppy report. This term, dating from the mid-1700s, at first meant either assigning or challenging someone to a task. Its current sense dates from the late 1800s.

take to the cleaners

1. Take or cheat one out of all of one's money or possessions, as in Her divorce lawyer took him to the cleaners, or That broker has taken a number of clients to the cleaners. [Slang; early 1900s] 2. Drub, beat up, as in He didn't just push you?

he took you to the cleaners. [Slang; early 1900s]

take turns

Alternate, as in Since there is only one horse, Beth and Amanda are taking turns riding. This phrase uses turn in the sense of "one of a series of actions done in succession." [Late 1300s] Also

see IN TURN.

take umbrage

Feel resentment, take offense, as in Aunt Agatha is quick to take umbrage at any suggestion to do things differently. This expression features one of the rare surviving uses of umbrage, which now means "resentment" but comes from the Latin umbra, for "shade," and presumably alludes to the "shadow" of displeasure. [Late 1600s]

take up

1. Raise, lift, as in We have to take up the old carpet and sand the floor. [c. 1300] 2. Reduce in size, shorten, tighten, as in I have to take up the hem of this coat, or You have to take up the slack in that reel or you'll never land a fish. [c. 1800] 3. Station oneself, settle in, as in We took up our positions at the front. [Mid-1500s] 4. Accept an option, bet, or challenge, as in No one wanted to take up that bet. This usage is often expanded to take someone up on, as in You're offering to clean the barn? I'll take you up on that. Take up dates from about 1700, the variant from the early 1900s. 5. Develop an interest in, begin an activity, as in Jim took up gardening. [Mid-1400s] Also

see GO INTO, def. 3. 6. Use up or occupy entirely, as in The extra duties took up most of my time, or This desk takes up too much space in the office, or How much room will your car take up? [c. 1600] 7. Begin again, resume, as in I'll take up the story where you left off. [Mid-1600s] 8. Deal with, as in Let's take up these questions one at a time.

[c. 1500] 9. Absorb, as in These large trees are taking up all the water in the soil. [Late 1600s] 10. Support, adopt as a protege, as in She's always taking up one or another young singer. [Late 1300s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with TAKE UP.

take up a collection

Request and gather donations, as in They were taking up a collection for the church that burned down, or The veterans' group takes up a collection every month of household goods and furniture.

This idiom was first recorded in 1849.

take up arms Also, take up the cudgels. Become involved in a conflict, either physical or verbal, as in The Kurds took up arms against the Iranians at least two centuries ago, or Some believe it's the vice-president's job to take up the cudgels for the president. The first term originated in the 1400s in the sense of going to war. The variant, alluding to cudgels as weapons, has been used figuratively since the mid-1600s and is probably obsolescent.

take up for

Support in an argument, as in To our surprise her father took up for her fiancé. [Second half of 1800s]

take up on

hand. see TAKE UP, def. 4.

take up space Also, take up room or time. hand. See TAKE UP, def. 6.

take up where one left off

hand. see TAKE UP, def. 7.

take up with

Begin to associate with, consort with, as in She took up with a fast crowd. [Early 1600s]

in Just because she's editor-in-chief doesn't give her the right to talk down to her staff, or Children hate teachers who speak down to them.

talked out

Weary from speaking, as in I haven't another thing to say; I'm all talked out. [c. 1900] Also see

TALK OUT.

talk into

Persuade, as in They talked me into going swimming with them. This idiom was first recorded in 1697. The antonym is talk out of, meaning ''dissuade," as in They tried to talk me out of going swimming. It is almost a century newer, first recorded in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1797-1798).

talk of the town, the

A subject of considerable gossip, as in Turning up drunk at the debutante ball will certainly make you the talk of the town. Already mentioned in two Latin sources, this expression surfaced in English in the mid-1600s.

talk out

1. Discuss a matter exhaustively, as in We talked out our marital problems with the therapist. [c.

1900] Also see TALKED OUT. 2. Resolve or settle by discussion, as in Karen felt she and her father should talk out their differences. [Mid-1800s]

talk out of

hand. see under TALK INTO; also see OUT OF TURN, def. 2.

talk over

1. Discuss thoroughly, as in Let's talk over the entire plan and see if we discover any flaws. [First half of 1700s] 2. Win someone over by persuasion, as in We talked them over to our point of view. [First half of 1800s] Also see TALK AROUND.

talk sense

Speak rationally and coherently, as in Ranting and raving won't help; it's time we talked sense, or I wish you'd talk some sense into that son of yours. Shakespeare used this idiom in slightly different form in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2:1): "Believe it, Page, he speaks sense."

talk shop

Converse about one's business or profession, as in Whenever John and his dad get together, they talk shop. [Mid-1800s]

talk someone's arm off Also, talk someone's ear or head or pants off; talk a blue streak; talk until one is blue in the face; talk the bark off a tree or the hind leg off a donkey or horse. Talk so much as to exhaust the listener, as in Whenever I run into her she talks my arm

off, or Louise was so excited that she talked a blue streak, or You can talk the bark off a tree but you still won't convince me. The first four expressions imply that one is so bored by a person's loquacity that one's arm (or ear or head or pants) fall off; they date from the first half of the 1900s

(also see PANTS OFF). The term like a blue streak alone simply means "very quickly," but in this idiom, first recorded in 1914, it means "continuously." The obvious hyperboles implying talk that takes the bark off a tree, first recorded in 1831, or the hind leg off a horse, from 1808, are heard less often today. Also see under BLUE IN THE FACE.

talk through one's hat

Talk nonsense; also, hold forth about something one knows very little about. For example, He was talking through his hat when he described the shipwreck, or Mother went on and on about various screwdrivers but in fact she was talking through her hat. The allusion in this idiom makes no sense either, which may be the point. [Late 1800s]

talk to Also, give a talking to. Scold, reprimand, as in The teacher said he'd have to talk to Jeff after school, or Dad gave us both a good talking to. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s] For talk to like a Dutch uncle, see DUTCH UNCLE.

talk turkey

Speak plainly, get to the point, as in Don't call me until you're ready to talk turkey. This expression allegedly comes from a tale about an Indian and a white man who hunted together and divided the game. When the white man said, "I'll take the turkey and you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey," the Indian replied, "Talk turkey to me." Whether or not this tale had a true basis, the term was recorded in its present meaning by about 1840.

talk up

Speak in favor of, promote, as in They were talking up their candidate all over the state. [Second half of 1800s]

tall

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with TALL, also see WALK TALL.

tall order

A goal that is hard to fulfill or achieve, as in Getting a thousand new subscribers is a tall order indeed. This expression uses tall in the sense of "impressively great" or "difficult." [c. 1900]

tall tale

A fanciful or greatly exaggerated story, as in Some youngsters love tall tales about creatures from outer space coming to earth. This idiom uses tall in the sense of "exaggerated." [Mid-1800s]

tamper with

1. Interfere or meddle, especially in a harmful way. For example, If you tamper with that lock it's