English is a very rich language, replete with a wealth of idioms, expressions, and turns of phrase to express any thought, mood, or scenario. Take the word “take,” for example. It takes on a myriad of meanings when used used as a noun or a verb or an imperative. So let’s take a look at the word “take” and explore some of the many takes on it.
You can take a guess; take a chance; take a risk; take a gamble; take offense; take heart; take your time; take a walk; take the high road; take it on the chin; take it like a man; take cover; take a hint; take a picture; take a stand; take a bath; take a shower; take it for granted; take heed; or you can just take it or leave it.
But take note: You can take it to the bank – but you can’t take it with you. The message behind that expression is that you should enjoy life, enjoy what you have, and don’t worry about not having a lot, especially money... because when you die, you can’t take it with you.
More origins of phrases and idioms
In that context, George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart wrote a three-act comedy titled You Can’t Take It with You. The play opened on Broadway on December 14, 1936, where it ran for 838 performances. In 1937, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
In 1938, the play was adapted for the silver screen. The film You Can’t Take It with You was directed by Frank Capra, and starred James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, and Spring Byington. The film obviously “had what it takes,” as it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, of which it won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.
In the spirit of taking in a good film and the sphere of leisure and R&R, you can take a minute; take five; take a load off; take a breather; take a rest; take a nap, take a day off; take a trip, take a vacation; take a leave of absence; or take a sabbatical.
If your nerves are on edge, you can “take a chill pill” to calm down and take it easy. The origin of the expression dates not far back to the early 1980s when ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder) was first recognized, and pills for the condition were being designed. They were called “chill pills” because they were used for calming hyperactive people and steering them toward the road to recovery.
In reference to transportation, you can take a drive, take a taxi, take a bus, take a train, or take off on a plane. But be careful not to be taken for a ride. The idiom “to be taken for a ride” means to be cheated or deceived. The expression originated in American slang during the early 20th century, particularly in the context of organized crime. The phrase initially referred to the act of luring someone into a car with the intention of kidnapping or murdering the unsuspecting person.
A lot less nefarious but corrupt nonetheless is to “take a dive.” In boxing parlance, it refers to a prizefighter who purposely goes down for the count or pretends to be knocked out. This is generally done as a means of rigging the outcome of the match in order to exploit betting odds and trends. When a fighter agrees to throw, or intentionally lose, a fight, he is said to take a dive, as he literally falls to the floor of the boxing ring.
In such a scenario, the fighter would be “on the take.” That expression means to underhandedly profit financially from a situation, such as accepting a bribe or some other means of accessing income illegally. “The take” is defined as an amount of something gained or acquired from one source or in one session.
At the other end of the financial spectrum, when a business “takes a dive,” it means that it suddenly lose value.
Opening a new enterprise is always risky business, so entrepreneurs “take a leap of faith” when it comes to hoping for the success of their endeavor. Originally, the term had a decidedly religious connotation, meaning that one doesn’t know what the outcome of a decision one makes will be, but trusting that God is calling upon one to make that decision. It was 19th-century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who created the concept of a leap of faith, which he defined as having trust in something despite its lack of reasoning, logic, and rationality. Kierkegaard used the expression as a metaphor for belief in God. The term “leap of faith” is a translation of the Latin phrase saltus fidei.
While one always takes a leap of faith when one brings a child into the world, the old adage states that “it takes a village to raise a child.” The familiar proverb expresses the idea that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children. The saying originated in the Igbo and Yoruba communities of Nigeria. The phrase has often been used in American culture for many purposes, most of which generally mean that it takes teamwork to accomplish an important task.
In 1995, then-first lady Hillary Clinton released a book titled It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us. In the book, published by Simon & Schuster, she presents her vision for the children of America. She focuses on the impact that individuals and groups outside the family have, for better or worse, on a child’s well-being, and she advocates for a society that meets all of a child’s needs. The book spent 18 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List during 1996, which included three weeks at number one. In 1997, Clinton received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for her audio recording of the book.
In regard to it taking teamwork to accomplish an important task, the phrase “if you can’t take the heat” indicates that if one is unable to cope with a stressful situation, then one should leave it to someone else who can handle it. The original statement was “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” which is widely attributed to president Harry S. Truman. In 1949, in telling his staff not to be overly concerned about criticism related to their appointments, he said, “I’ll stand by you; but if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Speaking of kitchens brings to mind the expression “That takes the cake.” The phrase can mean that something is especially good or bad, but it is usually used more in the negative sense. For example: “I’ve seen bad movies, but this one takes the cake.”
The expression was originally used in reference to the winners of cakewalk competitions in Black communities of the southern US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, where a cake was often the prize. So the winners were said to “take the cake.” The cakewalk was a dance developed from the “prize walks” held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on Black slave plantations before and after emancipation. The term “cakewalk” was used as early as 1863 to indicate something that is very easy or effortless. The fluid and graceful steps of the dance may have given rise to the colloquialism that something accomplished with ease is a “cakewalk.”
In the realm of music, the song “Stranger in Paradise” originated in the musical Kismet. The show was first produced on Broadway in 1953 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1954. It was also successful in London’s West End and has been given several revivals. Most of the music in Kismet was adapted from the works of Russian composer Alexander Borodin. The familiar melody of “Stranger in Paradise” was taken from a segment of Borodin’s opera Prince Igor called “Polovtsian Dances, Gliding Dance of the Maidens.” The song opens with these lovely lyrics:
Take my hand,
I’m a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland,
A stranger in paradise.
If I stand starry-eyed,
That’s a danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside
An angel like you.
And on that note, I will take my leave. Until the next time, take care.■