[take on oneself] or [take upon oneself] {v. phr.} 1. To accept asa duty or responsibility. •/He took it on himself to see that the packageswere delivered./ 2. To assume wrongfully or without permission as a right orprivilege. •/You should not have taken it upon yourself to accept theinvitation for the whole family./

[take one wrong] See: GET ONE WRONG.

[take on the chin]{v. phr.} To gracefully accept criticism. •/It’sgood to be able to tell people what they do wrong, but it is equally importantto be able to take it on the chin when they tell you what you have donewrong./

[take out]{v. phr.} 1. To ask for and fill in. •/Mary and John tookout a marriage license./ 2. To begin to run. •/When the window broke, theboys took out in all directions./ •/When the wind blew the man’s hat off,Charlie took out after it./ See: TAKE IT OUT ON.

[take out after]{v. phr.} To start pursuing one. •/The watchdog tookout after the burglars./

[take out on]{v. phr.} To vent one’s sadness, frustration, or anger onsomeone who is usually innocent of the problem at hand. •/"Why are you alwaystaking out your frustrations on me?" Jane asked Tom, when he slammed thedoor./

[take-out order]{n. phr.} An order in a restaurant that one does noteat on the premises, but takes home. •/The new Chinese restaurant on thecorner sells nice take-out orders./

[take over]{v.} 1a. To take control or possession of. •/He expectsto take over the business when his father retires./ 1b. To take charge orresponsibility. •/The airplane pilot fainted and his co-pilot had to takeover./ 2. To borrow, imitate, or adopt. •/The Japanese have taken over manyEuropean 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 couldpossibly want./ •/She always takes pains with her appearance./

[take part]{v. phr.} To have a part or share; join. •/Jim saw thenew boy watching the game and asked him to take part./ •/The Swiss did nottake part in the two World Wars./

[take pity on] also [take pity upon] {v. phr.} To feel sympathy orpity and do something for. •/Mary took pity on the orphan kittens./ •/Thefarmer took pity upon the campers, and let them stay in his barn during therain./

[take place]{v. phr.} To happen; occur. •/The accident took placeonly a block from his home./ •/The action of the play takes place inancient Rome./ •/The dance will take place after the graduationexercises./ Compare: GO ON(3).

[take potluck]{v. phr.} To share as a guest an everyday meal withoutspecial preparation. •/You are welcome to stay for dinner if you will takepotluck./ •/They were about to have lunch when he phoned and they asked himto take potluck with them./

[take root]{v. phr.} 1. To form roots so as to be able to live andgrow. •/We hope the transplanted apple trees will take root./ 2. To beaccepted; to be adopted; to live and succeed in a new place. •/Many Europeancustoms failed to take root in the New World./ •/The immigrants to ourcountry 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 hometook 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 orquarrel. •/Switzerland refused to take sides in the two World Wars./•/Tom wanted to go fishing. Dick wanted to take a hike. Bob took sides withTom so they all went fishing./ Compare: LINE UP(4b). Contrast: ON THE FENCE.

[take someone for a ride]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To cheat orswindle someone. •/Poor Joe Catwallender was taken for a ride./ 2. To killsomeone after kidnapping. •/The criminals took the man for a ride./

[take steps]{v. phr.} To begin to make plans or arrangements; makepreparations; give orders. — Usually used with "to" and an infinitive. •/Thecity is taking steps to replace its streetcars with busses./

[take stock]{v. phr.} 1. To count exactly the items of merchandise orsupplies in stock; take inventory. •/The grocery store took stock every weekon Monday mornings./ 2. To study carefully a situation, or a number ofpossibilities or opportunities. •/During the battle the commander paused totake 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 thatwomen were better cooks than men./ •/They took little or no stock in theboy’s story that he had lost the money./ •/Do you take any stock in thegossip 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 ofsomething. •/When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit inher teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare: TAKE THE BULLBY 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 giveyour rightful support, especially through selfish pleasure. •/She accused herhusband of drinking and gambling — taking bread out of his children’smouths./

[take the bull by the horns]{v. phr.}, {informal} To take definiteaction and not care about risks; act bravely in a difficulty. •/He decided totake the bull by the horns and demand a raise in salary even though it mightcost him his job./ Compare: TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH, TAKE THE LAW INTOONE’S OWN HANDS.

[take the cake]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take the first prize; bethe best; rank first. •/Mr. Jones takes the cake as a storyteller./ 2. Tobe the limit; to be the worst; have a lot of nerve; be a very rude, bold, orsurprising 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 thecake./ 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 theedge off Becky’s appetite./ •/Bob was sorry for hurting Tom and that tookthe edge off Tom’s anger./ •/A headache took the edge off Dick’s pleasurein the movie./

[take the fifth]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Taking refuge behind theFifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States which guarantees anywitness the right not to incriminate himself while testifying at a trial.•/Alger Hiss took the Fifth when asked whether he was a member of theCommunist 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 thefloor./

[take the law into one’s own hands]{v. phr.} To protect one’s supposedrights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. — Anoverused expression. •/When the men of the settlement caught the suspectedmurderer, 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 ownhands and drove the sheriff away with a shotgun./ Compare: LAW UNTO ONESELF,TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH.