Page 412 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary
P. 412

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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