Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[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./
[take the stand] <v. phr.> To assume one's position in the witness box during a trial. * /The judge asked the defendant to take the stand./
[take the starch out of] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To make (someone) feel weak or tired. * /The hot weather took the starch out of Mrs. Jones, and she didn't feel like doing a thing./ * /The cross-country run took all the starch out of the boys./ 2. See: TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE'S SAILS.
[take the stump] or [take to the stump] <v. phr.> To travel around to different places making political speeches. * /The men running for president took to the stump to attract votes./
[take the trouble] See: GO TO THE TROUBLE.
[take the wind out of one's sails] <v. phr.> To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. * /John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one./ * /Dick took the wind out of Bob's sails by showing him where he was wrong./ Compare: TAKE THE STARCH OUT OF(2).
[take the words out of one's mouth] <v. phr.> To say what another is just going to say; to put another's thought into words. * /"Let's go to the beach tomorrow." "You took the words right out of my mouth; I was thinking of that."/ * /I was going to suggest a movie, but she took the words out of my mouth and said she would like to see one./
[take things easy] See: TAKE IT EASY(2).
[take time off] See: TIME OFF; Compare: DAY OFF.
[take time out] See: TIME OUT.
[take to] <v.> 1. To go to or into; get yourself quickly to. Often used in the imperative. * /Take to the hills! The bandits are coming!/ * /We took to the woods during the day so no one would see us./ * /Take to the boats! The ship is sinking./ * /We stopped at a hotel for the night but took to the road again the next morning./ 2. To begin the work or job of; make a habit of. * /He took to repairing watches in his spare time./ * /She took to knitting when she got older./ * /Grandfather took to smoking cigars when he was young and he still smokes them./ * /Uncle Willie took to drink while he was a sailor./ * /The cat took to jumping on the table at mealtime./ 3. To learn easily; do well at. * /Father tried to teach John to swim, but John didn't take to it./ * /Mary takes to mathematics like a duck takes to water./ 4. To like at first meeting; be pleased by or attracted to; accept quickly. * /Our dog always takes to children quickly./ * /Mary didn't take kindly to the new rule that her mother made of being home at 6 o'clock./
[take to heart] also [lay to heart] <v. phr.> To be seriously affected by; to feel deeply. * /He took his brother's death very much to heart./ * /He took his friend's advice to heart./
[take to one's heels] also [show a clean pair of heels] <v. phr.> To begin to run or run away. * /When he heard the police coming, the thief took to his heels./
[take to task] <v. phr.> To reprove or scold for a fault or error. * /He took his wife to task for her foolish wastefulness./ * /The principal took Bill to task for breaking the window./
[take to the cleaners] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To win all the money another person has (as in poker). * /Watch out if you play poker with Joe; he'll take you to the cleaners./ 2. To cheat a person out of his money and possessions by means of a crooked business transaction or other means of dishonest conduct. * /I'll never forgive myself for becoming associated with Joe; he took me to the cleaners./
[take to the woods] <v. phr.>, <informal> To run away and hide. * /When John saw the girls coming, he took to the woods./ * /Bob took to the woods so he would not have to mow the grass./ Compare: HEAD FOR THE HILLS.
[take turns] <v. phr.> To do something one after another instead of doing it all at the same time. * /In class we should not talk all at the same time; we should take turns./ * /Jean and Beth took turns on the swing./ * /The two boys took turns at digging the hole./ * /The three men took turns driving so one would not be too tired./
[take under one's wing] See: UNDER ONE'S WING.
[take up] <v.> 1. To remove by taking in. * /Use a blotter to take up the spilled ink./ * /When the vacuum cleaner bag is full, it will not take up dirt from the rug./ 2. To fill or to occupy. * /All his evenings were taken up with study./ * /The oceans take up the greater part of the earth's surface./ * /The mayor has taken up residence on State Street./ 3. To gather together; collect. * /We are taking up a collection to buy flowers for John because he is in the hospital./ 4. To take away. * /John had his driver's license taken up for speeding./ 5a. To begin; start. * /The teacher took up the lesson where she left off yesterday./ 5b. To begin to do or learn; go into as a job or hobby. * /He recently took up gardening./ * /He took up the carpenter's trade as a boy./ Compare: GO INTO(3), GO IN FOR, TAKE TO. 6. To pull and make tight or shorter; shorten. * /The tailor took up the legs of the trousers./ * /Take up the slack on the rope!/ Compare: TAKE IN(3). 7. To take or accept something that is offered. * /The boss offered me a $5 raise and I took him up./ * /I took John up on his bet./ Compare: JUMP AT.
[take up arms] <v. phr.>, <literary>. To get ready to fight; fight or make war. * /The people were quick to take up arms to defend their freedom./ * /The President called on people to take up arms against poverty./ Contrast: LAY DOWN ONE'S ARMS.
[take upon oneself] See: TAKE ON ONESELF.
[take up the cudgels for] <v. phr.>, <literary> To come to the defense of; to support or fight for. * /He was the first to take up the cudgels for his friend./ Compare: STAND UP FOR.
[take up with] <v.> To begin to go around with (someone); see a lot of. * /Frank has taken up with Lucy lately./
[take with a grain of salt] also [take with a pinch of salt] <v. phr.> To accept or believe only in part; not accept too much. * /A man who says he is not a candidate for President should usually have his statement taken with a grain of salt./ * /We took Uncle George's stories of the war with a pinch of salt./
[taking pictures] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> To use a radar-operated speed indicator in order to enforce the 55 MPH speed limit. * /The Smokeys are taking pictures!/