[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 ofwar are still in enemy hands./ 2. To start to face an issue. •/"The bestway to deal with your divorce," the doctor said to Fran, "is to take the lidoff 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 takethe offensive./ Contrast TAKE THE DEFENSIVE.

[take the pledge]{v. phr.} To swear to give up drinking, smoking, orusing 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 answeredthat they’ll take the plunge in September./

[take the rap]{v. phr.}, {slang} To receive punishment; to beaccused and punished. •/All of the boys took apples, but only John took therap./ •/Joe took the burglary rap for his brother and went to prison fortwo years./

[take the stand]{v. phr.} To assume one’s position in the witness boxduring 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, andshe didn’t feel like doing a thing./ •/The cross-country run took all thestarch 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 aroundto different places making political speeches. •/The men running forpresident 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 bydoing better or by catching him in an error. •/John came home boasting aboutthe fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found hislittle sister had caught a bigger one./ •/Dick took the wind out of Bob’ssails 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 isjust going to say; to put another’s thought into words. •/"Let’s go to thebeach tomorrow." "You took the words right out of my mouth; I was thinking ofthat."/ •/I was going to suggest a movie, but she took the words out of mymouth 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. — Oftenused 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 tothe boats! The ship is sinking./ •/We stopped at a hotel for the night buttook 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./ •/Shetook to knitting when she got older./ •/Grandfather took to smoking cigarswhen he was young and he still smokes them./ •/Uncle Willie took to drinkwhile he was a sailor./ •/The cat took to jumping on the table atmealtime./ 3. To learn easily; do well at. •/Father tried to teach John toswim, but John didn’t take to it./ •/Mary takes to mathematics like a ducktakes to water./ 4. To like at first meeting; be pleased by or attracted to;accept quickly. •/Our dog always takes to children quickly./ •/Marydidn’t take kindly to the new rule that her mother made of being home at 6o’clock./

[take to heart] also [lay to heart] {v. phr.} To be seriouslyaffected by; to feel deeply. •/He took his brother’s death very much toheart./ •/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 thieftook 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 principaltook Bill to task for breaking the window./

[take to the cleaners]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To win all the moneyanother 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 andpossessions by means of a crooked business transaction or other means ofdishonest conduct. •/I’ll never forgive myself for becoming associated withJoe; 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 tothe woods so he would not have to mow the grass./ Compare: HEAD FOR THEHILLS.

[take turns]{v. phr.} To do something one after another instead ofdoing it all at the same time. •/In class we should not talk all at the sametime; we should take turns./ •/Jean and Beth took turns on the swing./•/The two boys took turns at digging the hole./ •/The three men tookturns 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 upthe spilled ink./ •/When the vacuum cleaner bag is full, it will not takeup dirt from the rug./ 2. To fill or to occupy. •/All his evenings weretaken up with study./ •/The oceans take up the greater part of the earth’ssurface./ •/The mayor has taken up residence on State Street./ 3. Togather together; collect. •/We are taking up a collection to buy flowers forJohn because he is in the hospital./ 4. To take away. •/John had hisdriver’s license taken up for speeding./ 5a. To begin; start. •/The teachertook up the lesson where she left off yesterday./ 5b. To begin to do orlearn; go into as a job or hobby. •/He recently took up gardening./ •/Hetook up the carpenter’s trade as a boy./ Compare: GO INTO(3), GO IN FOR, TAKETO. 6. To pull and make tight or shorter; shorten. •/The tailor took up thelegs of the trousers./ •/Take up the slack on the rope!/ Compare: TAKEIN(3). 7. To take or accept something that is offered. •/The boss offered mea $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; fightor make war. •/The people were quick to take up arms to defend theirfreedom./ •/The President called on people to take up arms againstpoverty./ Contrast: LAY DOWN ONE’S ARMS.

[take upon oneself] See: TAKE ON ONESELF.

[take up the cudgels for]{v. phr.}, {literary} To come to thedefense of; to support or fight for. •/He was the first to take up thecudgels 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 whosays he is not a candidate for President should usually have his statementtaken with a grain of salt./ •/We took Uncle George’s stories of the warwith a pinch of salt./