Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[take charge] <v. phr.> To begin to lead or control; take control or responsibility; undertake the care or management (of persons or things). * /When Mrs. Jackson was in the hospital, her sister took charge of the Jackson children until Mrs. Jackson could care for them./ * /The child care class gave a party for the nursery children, and Mary took charge of the games./ * /John was elected the new president of the club and took charge at the next meeting./ * /Bob is a natural leader, and can take charge in an emergency./ Compare: IN CHARGE(2).

[take cold] See: CATCH COLD.

[take cover] <v. phr.> To seek shelter or protection. * /The rain began so suddenly that we had to take cover in a doorway./

[take down] <v.> 1. To write or record (what is said). * /I will tell you how to get to the place; you had better take it down./ 2. To pull to pieces; take apart. * /It will be a big job to take that tree down./ * /In the evening the campers put up a tent, and the next morning they took it down./ 3. <informal> To reduce the pride or spirit of; humble. * /Bob thought he was a good wrestler, but Henry took him down./ Syn.: TAKE DOWN A NOTCH.

[take down a notch] or [take down a peg] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make (someone) less proud or sure of himself. * /The team was feeling proud of its record, but last week the boys were taken down a peg by a bad defeat./

[take effect] <v. phr.> 1. To have an unexpected or intended result; cause a change. * /It was nearly an hour before the sleeping pill took effect./ 2. To become lawfully right, or operative. * /The new tax law will not take effect until January./

[take exception to] <v. phr.> To speak against; find fault with; be displeased or angered by; criticize. * /There was nothing in the speech that you could take exception to./ * /Did she take exception to my remarks about her cooking./

[take five] <v. phr.> To take a five-minute break during some work or theatrical rehearsal. * /"All right, everyone," the director cried. "Let's take five."/

[take for] <v.> To suppose to be; mistake for. * /Do you take me for a fool?/ * /At first sight you would take him for a football player, not a poet./

[take for a ride] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To take out in a car intending to murder. * /The gang leader decided that the informer must be taken for a ride./ 2. To play a trick on; fool. * /The girls told Linda that a movie star was visiting the school, but she did not believe them; she thought they were taking her for a ride./ Compare: STRING ALONG. 3. To take unfair advantage of; fool for your own gain. * /His girlfriend really took him for a ride before he stopped dating her./

[take for granted] <v. phr.> 1. To suppose or understand to be true. * /Mr. Harper took for granted that the invitation included his wife./ * /A teacher cannot take it for granted that students always do their homework./ Compare: BEG THE QUESTION. 2. To accept or become used to (something) without noticing especially or saying anything. * /George took for granted all that his parents did for him./ * /No girl likes to have her boyfriend take her for granted; instead, he should always try to make her like him better./

[take French leave] <v. phr.> To leave secretly; abscond. * /The party was so boring that we decided to take French leave./ * /While the Smith family was in Europe, the house-sitter packed up all the silver and took French leave./ See: SLIP AWAY.

[take heart] <v. phr.> To be encouraged; feel braver and want to try. * /The men took heart from their leader's words and went on to win the battle./ * /When we are in trouble we can take heart from the fact that things often seem worse than they are./ Contrast: LOSE HEART.

[take heed] <v. phr.>, <literary> To pay attention; watch or listen carefully; notice. * /Take heed not to spill coffee on the rug./

[take hold of] <v. phr.> To grasp. * /The old man tried to keep himself from falling down the stairs, but there was no railing to take hold of./

[take ill] or [take sick] <v.> To become sick. * /Father took sick just before his birthday./ - Used in the passive with the same meaning. * /The man was taken ill on the train./

[take in] <v.> 1. To include. * /The country's boundaries were changed to fake in a piece of land beyond the river./ * /The class of mammals takes in nearly all warm-blooded animals except the birds./ 2. To go and see; visit. * /The students decided to take in a movie while they were in town./ * /We planned to take in Niagara Palls and Yellowstone Park on our trip./ 3. To make smaller. * /This waistband is too big; it must be taken in about an inch./ * /They had to take in some sail to keep the ship from turning over in the storm./ 4. To grasp with the mind; understand. * /He didn't take in what he read because his mind was on something else./ * /He took in the situation at a glance./ 5a. To deceive; cheat; fool. * /The teacher was taken in by the boy's innocent manner./ Compare: PUT OVER, ROPE IN. 5b. To accept without question; believe. * /The magician did many tricks, and the children took it all in./ 6a. To receive; get. * /The senior class held a dance to make money and took in over a hundred dollars./ 6b. Let come in; admit. * /The farmer took in the lost travelers for the night./ * /When her husband died, Mrs. Smith took in boarders./ 7. To see or hear with interest; pay close attention to, * /When Bill told about his adventures, the other boys took it all in./

[take in stride] <v. phr.> To meet happenings without too much surprise; accept good or bad luck and go on. * /He learned to take disappointments in stride./

[take in tow] <v. phr.> To take charge of; lead; conduct. * /Brian and Kate took a group of children in tow when they went to see the circus./

[take into account] <v. phr.> To remember and understand while judging someone or something; consider. * /How much time will we need to get to the lake? You have to take the bad road into account./ * /His acting in the play was remarkable, taking into account his youth and inexperience./ Syn.: RECKON WITH. Contrast: LEAVE OUT OF ACCOUNT.

[take issue with] <v. phr.> To be openly against; speak against; disagree with. * /He thought his boss was wrong but was afraid to take issue with him on the matter./

[take it] <v. phr.> 1. To get an idea or impression; understand from what is said or done. - Usually used with "I". * /I take it from your silence that you don't want to go./ 2. <informal> To bear trouble, hard work, criticism; not give up or weaken. * /Henry could criticize and tease other boys, but he couldn't take it himself./ * /Bob lost his job and his girl in the same week, and we all admired the way he took it./

[take it all in] <v. phr.> To absorb completely; listen attentively. * /Bill's piano music filled the room and we took it all in with admiration./

[take it away] <v. phr.>, <informal>, <Theatrical expression> You're on; it's your turn; you're next. * /And here comes that wonderful comedian, Bob Hope. The announcer said, "Take it away. Bob."/

[take it easy] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. or [go easy] or [take things easy] To go or act slowly, carefully, and gently. - Often used with "on". * /Take it easy. The roads are icy./ * /"Go easy," said Billy to the other boys carrying the table down the stairs./ * /"Take it easy on John and don't scold him too much," said Mrs. Jones to Mr. Jones./ * /Go easy on the cake. There isn't much left./ 2. or [take things easy] To avoid hard work or worry; have an easy time; live in comfort. * /The doctor said that Bob would have to take things easy for awhile after he had his tonsils out./ * /Barbara likes to take it easy./ * /Grandfather will retire from his job next year and take things easy./ * /Mr. Wilson has just made a lot of money and can take things easy now./

[take it from the top] <v. phr.>, <informal> <Musical and theatrical expression> To start again from the beginning. * /The conductor said, "We must try it once again. Take it from the top and watch my baton."/

[take it into one's head] or <informal> [take a notion] <v. phr.> To get a sudden idea; decide without thinking. * /The boy suddenly took it into his head to leave school and get a job./ * /Grandmother keeps a bag packed so that she can go visiting whenever she takes a notion./

[take it on the chin] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To be badly beaten or hurt. * /Our football team really took it on the chin today. They are all bumps and bruises./ * /Mother and I took it on the chin in the card game./ 2. To accept without complaint something bad that happens to you; accept trouble or defeat calmly. * /A good football player can take it on the chin when his team loses./

[take it or leave it] <v. phr.>, <informal> To accept something without change or refuse it; decide yes or no. - Often used like a command. * /He said the price of the house was $10,000, take it or leave it./

[take it out on] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be unpleasant or unkind to (someone) because you are angry or upset; get rid of upset feelings by being mean to. - Often used with the name of the feeling instead of "it." * /The teacher was angry and took it out on the class./ * /Bob was angry because Father would not let him use the car, and he took it out on his little brother./

[take its toll] <v. phr.> To cause loss or damage. * /The bombs had taken their toll on the little town./ * /The budget cut took its toll of teachers./

[take kindly to] <v.> To be pleased by; like. - Usually used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. * /He doesn't take kindly to any suggestions about running his business./ * /Will your father take kindly to the idea of your leaving college?/

[take leave of] <v. phr.> I. To abandon, go away from, or become separated from. - Usually used in the phrase "take leave of one's senses". * /Come down from the roof, Billy! Have you taken leave of your senses?/ 2. See: TAKE ONE'S LEAVE.

[take leave of one's senses] <v. phr.> To go mad; become crazy. * /"Have you taken leave of your senses? "Jake cried, when he saw Andy swallow a live goldfish./

[take liberties] <v. phr.> To act toward in too close or friendly a manner; use as you would use a close friend or something of your own. * /Mary would not let any boy take liberties with her./ * /Bill took liberties with Tom's bicycle./ Compare: MAKE FREE WITH.

[take lying down] <v. phr.> To accept something without defense or protest. * /If you take such insults lying down, you will only encourage more of the same./

[taken aback] also [taken back] <adj.> Unpleasantly surprised; suddenly puzzled or shocked. * /When he came to pay for his dinner he was taken aback to find that he had left his wallet at home./

[taken by] or [with] <v. phr.> To be impressed by; intrigued by. * /Ned was much taken by the elegance of Sophie's manners./

[take no stock in] See: TAKE STOCK IN.

[take note of] or [take notice of] <v. phr.> 1. To look carefully at; pay close attention to; observe well. * /A detective is trained to take note of people and things./ 2. To notice and act in response; pay attention. * /Two boys were talking together in the back of the room but the teacher took no notice of them./ * /The principal thanked everyone who helped in the program, and took note of the decorations made by the art class./

[take oath] <v. phr.> To promise to tell the truth or to do some task honestly, calling on God or some person or thing as a witness. * /Mary took her oath that she did not steal the watch./ * /John took oath that he would fill the office of president faithfully./

[takeoff] <n.> 1. Departure of an airplane; the act of becoming airborne. * /The nervous passenger was relieved that we had such a wonderfully smooth takeoff./ 2. Imitation; a parody. * /Vaughn Meader used to do a wonderful takeoff on President Kennedy's speech./

[take off] <v. phr.> 1a. To leave fast; depart suddenly; run away. * /The dog took off after a rabbit./ Compare: LIGHT OUT. 1b. <informal> To go away; leave. * /The six boys got into the car and took off for the drug store./ 2. To leave on a flight, begin going up. * /A helicopter is able to take off and land straight up or down./ 3. <informal> To imitate amusingly; copy another person's habitual actions or speech. * /He made a career of taking off famous people for nightclub audiences./ * /At the party, Charlie took off the principal and some of the teachers./ 4. To take (time) to be absent from work. * /When his wife was sick he took off from work./ * /Bill was tired out so he took the day off./

[take off one's hat to] <v. phr.> To give honor, praise, and respect to. * /He is my enemy, but I take off my hat to him for his courage./ Compare: HAND IT TO.

[take offense at] <v. phr.> To become indignant; become angry. * /Why do you always take offense at everything I say?/

[take off one's hands] <v. phr.> 1. To abdicate one's responsibility of a person or matter. * /"I am herewith taking my hand off your affairs," Lou's father said. "See how you succeed on your own."/ 2. To buy; relieve someone of something. * /He offered to take my old car off my hands for $350./

[take off the edge] See: TAKE THE EDGE OFF.

[take on] <v.> 1. To receive for carrying; be loaded with. * /A big ship was at the dock taking on automobiles in crates to carry overseas for sale./ * /The bus driver stopped at the curb to take the woman on./ 2. To begin to have (the look of); take (the appearance of). * /Others joined the fistfight until it took on the look of a riot./ * /After the students put up Christmas decorations, the classroom took on a holiday appearance./ 3a. To give a job to; hire; employ. * /The factory has opened and is beginning to take on new workers./ Contrast: LET GO(4), LET OFF, LET OUT(6). 3b. To accept in business or a contest. * /The big man took on two opponents at once./ * /After his father died, Bill took on the management of the factory./ * /We knew their football team was bigger and stronger, but we took them on anyway and beat them./ 4. <informal> To show great excitement, grief, or anger. * /At the news of her husband's death she took on like a madwoman./ Compare: CARRY-ON.

[take one at one's word] <v. phr.> To naively lend credence to what one tells one. * /It's a bad idea to take street vendors at their word in large, crowded cities./

[take one's breath away] <v. phr.> To surprise greatly; impress very much; leave speechless with surprise or wonder or delight; astonish. * /The sunset is so beautiful it takes our breath away./ * /His refusal was so unexpected it took my breath away./ Compare: CATCH ONE'S BREATH(1).

[take one's death of] See: CATCH ONE'S DEATH OF.

[take one's leave] or [take leave of] <v. phr.>, <formal> To say good-bye and leave. * /He stayed on after most of the guests had taken their leave./ * /The messenger bowed and took leave of the queen./ [leave-taking] <n.> The end of school in June is a time of leave-taking.

[take one's life in one's hands] <v. phr.> To face great danger or take great risk. * /Driving that car with those worn tires would be taking your life in your hands./ * /He took his life in his hands when he tried to capture the wild horse./