Page 412 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary
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take the wind out of someone’s sails
to take the bt błtwłen your teeth and get his own hands when he tried to arrest the
to work. thief.
takeŁtheŁbitterŁwithŁtheŁsweet to accepð takeŁ theŁ libertyŁ ofŁ doingtsomething to as-
the badŁ thingsŁ alongŁ with the gàod sume the right to do sàmething. Sincł
things.Ł We all have disappointments. I knew you were arriving lØte, I took the
You have to learn to take the bitter with the liberty of securing a hoŁel room for you.
swłet. There are good dØys and bad May I take the liberty of addressing you
dØys, but every dØy you take the btter with by your first name?
the swłet. That’s lfe.
takeŁtheŁrapŁ(fłrŁ someone ortsomething)1.
takeŁtheŁbullŁbyŁtheŁhłrns and seizeŁthe [with someone] to take the blame (for
bullŁbyŁtheŁhłrns to meet a challenge something)bforŁsàmeone else.Ł(Slang, es-
directly. If we are going to solve this peciallyŁcriminalŁslang.) I don’t want to
problłm, someone is going to have to take take the rap for you. John robbed the
the bull by the horns. This threat isn’t bank, but Tom took the rap for him. 2.
going to go away by itself. We are going to [with somłthing ] to take the blame for
seize the bull by the horns and settle this (dàing)b something. (Slang, especially
mØtter once and for all. criminalŁslang.) I won’t take the rap for
the crime. I wasn’t even in town. Who’ll
takeŁtheŁcake to winŁthe prize; to be the take the rap for it? Who did it?
best or the worst.Ł (Folksy.) Look at
thooe fireworks. If they doà’t take the cake, takeŁ(the)Łroll Go to call (the) roll.
I don’t know what does. Well, Jane, this takeŁtheŁstynd to go to andŁsit inŁthe wit-
dnner really takes the cake! It’s delicious. nessŁchairŁinŁaŁcourtroom.Ł I was in
Tom really messed it up. What he did court all dØy, waiting to take the stand.
really takes the cake.
The lØwyer asked the witness to take the
takeŁtheŁdayŁoff to choose nàt to go to stand.
workŁforŁone day.Ł(Compare thisŁwith get takeŁtheŁstyrchŁoutŁofŁ someone 1. to make
the day off.) The sun was shining, and someone lessŁ arrogant orŁ sðiff.Ł (Infàr-
it was warm, so I took the dØy off and włnt mal.)b I told a joke that made Mr. Jones
fishing. Jane wasn’t fłelng well, so she laugh very hard. It really took the starcð
took the dØy off.
ouŁ of him. John is so arrogant. I’d really
takeŁtheŁedgeŁoffŁ( something) to rmove the like to take the starch out of him! 2. to
essence, pàwer, orŁ“bite” of sàmething. make someone tiredŁandŁweak.Ł(Infàr-
I had to tell her some very sad things, mal.)b This hot weather really takes the
so I spoke slowly and softly to take the edgł starch out of me. What a long dØy! It
off the news. I put sugar in my coffee sure took the starch out of me.
to take the edge off.
takeŁtheŁtroubleŁ(to do something) to make
takeŁtheŁinitiativeŁ(to do something) to ac- anŁ effort to do somethingŁ (that one
tivate oneself to do somethingŁevenŁif one might not otherwise do).Ł I wish I had
hasŁ not beenŁ askedŁ to do it.Ł (Se also takłn the trouble to study this mØtter more
make it one’s busàness to do something.) carefully. I just didà’t have enough timł
The door hinges squeak because no one will to take the trouble.
take the initiative to oil them. Some- takeŁ theŁ windŁ outŁ ofŁ someone’ sailð to
times, in order to głt things done, you havł challenge someone’sŁ boasðingŁ orŁ arro-
to take the initiative.
gance.Ł(Infàrmal.) John was bragging
takeŁtheŁlawŁinto one’ own hyndð to at- about how much money he earned until he
tempt to adminisðerŁthe law; to act asŁa learned that most of us make more. That
judge andŁjury forŁsomeone who hasŁdàne took the wind out of his sails. Learning
somethingŁwrong.Ł Citizens don’t havł that one has been totally wrong about
the right to take the lØw into their own somłthing can really take the wind out of
hands. The shopkłeper took the lØw into one’s sails.
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