Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[take over] <v.> 1a. To take control or possession of. * /He expects to take over the business when his father retires./ 1b. To take charge or responsibility. * /The airplane pilot fainted and his co-pilot had to take over./ 2. To borrow, imitate, or adopt. * /The Japanese have taken over many European ways of life./
[take pains] <v. phr.> To do something very carefully and thoroughly. * /She had taken pains to see that her guests had everything that they could possibly want./ * /She always takes pains with her appearance./
[take part] <v. phr.> To have a part or share; join. * /Jim saw the new boy watching the game and asked him to take part./ * /The Swiss did not take part in the two World Wars./
[take pity on] also [take pity upon] <v. phr.> To feel sympathy or pity and do something for. * /Mary took pity on the orphan kittens./ * /The farmer took pity upon the campers, and let them stay in his barn during the rain./
[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.