[take place]{v. phr.} To happen; occur. •/The accident took place only a block from his home./ •/The action of the play takes place in ancient Rome./ •/The dance will take place after the graduation exercises./ Compare: GO ON(3).
[take potluck]{v. phr.} To share as a guest an everyday meal without special preparation. •/You are welcome to stay for dinner if you will take potluck./ •/They were about to have lunch when he phoned and they asked him to take potluck with them./
[take root]{v. phr.} 1. To form roots so as to be able to live and grow. •/We hope the transplanted apple trees will take root./ 2. To be accepted; to be adopted; to live and succeed in a new place. •/Many European customs failed to take root in the New World./ •/The immigrants to our country took root and began to think of themselves as Native Americans./
[take shape]{v. phr.} To grow or develop into a certain fixed form. •/Plans for our vacation are beginning to take shape./ •/Their new home took shape as the weeks went by./ Compare: SHAPE UP.
[take sick] See: TAKE ILL.
[take sides]{v. phr.} To join one group against another in a debate or quarrel. •/Switzerland refused to take sides in the two World Wars./ •/Tom wanted to go fishing. Dick wanted to take a hike. Bob took sides with Tom so they all went fishing./ Compare: LINE UP(4b). Contrast: ON THE FENCE.
[take someone for a ride]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To cheat or swindle someone. •/Poor Joe Catwallender was taken for a ride./ 2. To kill someone after kidnapping. •/The criminals took the man for a ride./
[take steps]{v. phr.} To begin to make plans or arrangements; make preparations; give orders. — Usually used with "to" and an infinitive. •/The city is taking steps to replace its streetcars with busses./
[take stock]{v. phr.} 1. To count exactly the items of merchandise or supplies in stock; take inventory. •/The grocery store took stock every week on Monday mornings./ 2. To study carefully a situation, or a number of possibilities or opportunities. •/During the battle the commander paused to take stock of the situation./ Compare: SIZE UP.
[take stock in]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have faith in; trust; believe. — Usually used in the negative. •/He took no stock in the idea that women were better cooks than men./ •/They took little or no stock in the boy’s story that he had lost the money./ •/Do you take any stock in the gossip about Joan?/
[take the bit in one’s mouth] also [take the bit in one’s teeth] {adv. phr.} To have your own way; take charge of things; take control of something. •/When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit in her teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare: TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS, TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.
[take the bread out of one’s mouth]{v. phr.} To take away or not give your rightful support, especially through selfish pleasure. •/She accused her husband of drinking and gambling — taking bread out of his children’s mouths./
[take the bull by the horns]{v. phr.}, {informal} To take definite action and not care about risks; act bravely in a difficulty. •/He decided to take the bull by the horns and demand a raise in salary even though it might cost him his job./ Compare: TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH, TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.
[take the cake]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take the first prize; be the best; rank first. •/Mr. Jones takes the cake as a storyteller./ 2. To be the limit; to be the worst; have a lot of nerve; be a very rude, bold, or surprising action. •/I let Jack borrow my baseball and he never gave it back. Doesn’t that take the cake?/ •/For being absent-minded, Mr. Smith takes the cake./ Compare: BEAT ALL.
[take the day off] See: DAY OFF.
[take the defensive] Contrast: TAKE THE OFFENSIVE.
[take the edge off] also [take off the edge] {v. phr.} To lessen, weaken, soften or make dull. •/Eating a candy bar before dinner has taken the edge off Becky’s appetite./ •/Bob was sorry for hurting Tom and that took the edge off Tom’s anger./ •/A headache took the edge off Dick’s pleasure in the movie./
[take the fifth]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Taking refuge behind the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States which guarantees any witness the right not to incriminate himself while testifying at a trial. •/Alger Hiss took the Fifth when asked whether he was a member of the Communist Party./ 2. Not to answer any question in an informal setting. •/Have you been married before? — I take the Fifth./
[take the floor]{v. phr.} To get up and make a speech in a meeting. •/The audience became very attentive the moment the president took the floor./
[take the law into one’s own hands]{v. phr.} To protect one’s supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. — An overused expression. •/When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged him to a tree./ •/His farm was going to be sold for taxes, but he took the law into his own hands and drove the sheriff away with a shotgun./ Compare: LAW UNTO ONESELF, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH.
[take the lid off]{v. phr.} 1. To let out in the open; divulge. •/It’s about time to take the lid off the question of how many prisoners of war are still in enemy hands./ 2. To start to face an issue. •/"The best way to deal with your divorce," the doctor said to Fran, "is to take the lid off of it."/ Compare: BLOW THE LID OFF, LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.
[take the measure of] See: TAKE ONE’S MEASURE.
[take the offensive]{v. phr.} To make oneself the attacking party. •/After many months of preparation, the freedom fighters were ready to take the offensive./ Contrast TAKE THE DEFENSIVE.
[take the pledge]{v. phr.} To swear to give up drinking, smoking, or using drugs. •/Gary finally took the pledge and he has kept it thus far./
[take the plunge]{v. phr.} To take a fatal or decisive step; venture. •/When I asked Don when he and Melissa were going to get married, he answered that they’ll take the plunge in September./
[take the rap]{v. phr.}, {slang} To receive punishment; to be accused and punished. •/All of the boys took apples, but only John took the rap./ •/Joe took the burglary rap for his brother and went to prison for two years./