'Take' Is a Building Block in English

'Take' Is a Building Block in English

Now, the weekly program Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore the history and usage¹ of common expressions in American English. And we give examples so that you can learn to use them yourself.

Sometimes we talk about a very simple term – like the word “take.”

But "take" is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, the Oxford² English Dictionary calls it one of the “elemental words of the (English) language.”

Many expressions using the word “take” first appeared in American English years ago and have not changed at all. For example, the website Etymology³ Online says the saying take it or leave it was first used in the late 19th century. But you can find this phrase commonly used and in many different situations.

The phrase to take it out on someone or something means to express anger at someone or something. It is a sign of misplaced anger. One website says this expression was first used in 1840. Today you can often hear it in conversational⁴ speech.

Let’s say your friend lost his job. He is angry and shouts at you for something unrelated. You can say to him, “Look I know you’re upset. But don’t take it out on me. I didn’t fire you!”

Taking it out on someone is very different from having a give-and-take with someone. Give-and-take is the process opposing sides go through to reach an agreement. It’s a compromise. Both sides give up something they want but also take something they want. Give-and-take can also mean the act of exchanging ideas or comments.

If you take after someone, it means you seem to be like them in some way. If Felix is very much like his father, you could say he takes after his father.

If you are simply taken by someone, you either show complete respect for or are totally in love with the person. For example, “She is really taken with the new man in the office. He is all she talks about!”

“Take” can also be used as a noun. And it has several meanings.

Take can be money collected during a performance of something. If you are a criminal, your take is your share of what was stolen.

But when using the word “take,” the situation is very important. If I ask you what your take is, I am asking for your opinion about something. For example, “give me your take on this year’s election.”

Combining the verb “take” with any number of prepositions is where the fun really starts.

Let’s start with the term take away. Take away when used as a combination noun is what you learned from something. For example, “What was your take away from the meeting today?”

Take off means something really progressed quickly. You could say, “Her career in politics really took off when she moved to Washington, D.C.”

Yet the adjective take-out is very different. “Take-out” describes the food you buy from a restaurant and bring home to eat. Chinese take-out meals are very popular in the United States.

However, if are tired of spending money on Chinese take-out, you can take up Chinese cooking. This means you are learning how to do it. You can also take up an instrument or take up a hobby like painting.

Change the order of those two words and you have “uptake.” Uptake is the process by which something is taken in by the body or a plant. But that is not the way we often use it in every day speech. “Uptake” also means the ability to learn new things, to understand what is happening or being said – as in this example:

Hello, miss. Fill out this form and give me your health insurance card. The doctor will see you shortly.

You want me to fill out my health insurance and give it to the doctor?

No. Just complete this insurance form and give ME the form.

Sorry, I’m a little slow on the uptake. I don’t know what is wrong with my brain today.

You can also use the expression “uptake,” like this: “He’s kind of slow on the up-take.” This means he is slow to understand a situation.

If all this information is too much, you might want to take five, or take a break.

Take five is what actors, dancers and musicians say when they want to take a break. But these days anyone can say “take five” if they need a little rest from work. Word historians⁵ say this expression was first used in the late 1920s. It may have come from the fact that smoking a cigarette takes about five minutes.

But please do not think that we are expressing support for smoking. If we did that, we would have to take on anti-smoking health activists⁶ around the world.

To take on has several meanings.

In our example, it means to deal with someone or something as an opponent. You can also take on new responsibilities. Then the phrase means to begin performing or to deal with something, such as she took on the job of manager after Steve resigned.

But to take on can also mean to get control of or to become like something, as in this example: “On the day of the celebration, the boring city’s town center took on the air of a happy carnival⁷.”

You can add the word “take” to word combinations and create new expressions.

For example, if people take something for granted, they do not place much value on it. Or you believe it to be true, real or expected. This is a very common expression. For example, if you take your friends for granted, you may not have friends for very long. It’s better to let your friends know that you value them.

Unless that friend takes you for a ride. If you are taken for a ride, you are fooled by someone.

If you take a plunge⁸, you act bravely and with determination. This expression began in the late 1800s. And if you take a back seat to someone or something you have assumed the secondary position of importance to them.

The criminal world of the 1930s is responsible for at least two “take” expressions.

To take the rap⁹ means to accept punishment for something you didn’t do. And to be on the take means to take money from criminals.

And if you take the money and run, you are a criminal.

To take into account means to consider something. For example, when the man planned his trip to Hawaii, he did not take into account the cost of fuel. He went over-budget by several hundreds of dollars.

If someone tells you to take it easy, they want you to calm down. Taking it easy can also mean to simply relax and do nothing.

So, do you see what we mean? The word "take" has so many uses. You can take our word for it. That means you can trust us.

Words in This Story

compromise – n. a way of reaching agreement in which each person or group gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute

hobby – n. a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation

1 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

2 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

3 etymology   

n.语源；字源学

参考例句：

• The hippies' etymology is contentious.关于嬉皮士的语源是有争议的。
• The origin of OK became the Holy Grail of etymology.OK的出典成了词源学梦寐以求的圣杯。

4 conversational   

adj.对话的，会话的

参考例句：

• The article is written in a conversational style.该文是以对话的形式写成的。
• She values herself on her conversational powers.她常夸耀自己的能言善辩。

5 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

8 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

9 rap   

n.轻敲，拍击，责骂，厉声说出，说唱音乐，谈话，最少量；vi.轻敲，敲门，表演说唱音乐，畅谈；vt.抓，抢，拍击

参考例句：

• I heard a rap on the door.我听到有轻轻的敲门声。
• Today we are going to rap about relationships.今天我们要聊聊关系的问题。