Dictionary: TAKEB – TAKEN

• TAKE BACKWATER
vb. 1902 Amer. dial. – to change course; to reverse one’s position; to retreat; to back down on a brag or dare; to refuse a challenge  

• TAKE BEEF
vb. 1. 1859 UK criminals’ sl. – to run away  
vb. 2. 1990s African-American sl. – to get into arguments; to face criticism  

• TAKE BEGINNING
vb. a1300 obs. – to begin, to start, to commence

• TAKE BITE AND SUP
vb. 1890 Eng. dial. – to partake of food  

• TAKE BREAD AND SALT
vb. L16 – to swear  

• TAKE BY THE BEARD
vb. 1809 rare – to get to grips with; to address or challenge in a determined manner

• TAKE BY THE FACE
vb. 1843 Sc. – to disconcert, to put out of countenance  

• TAKE BY THE HAND
vb. 1898 Sc. – to marry  

• TAKE BY THE HEAD
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to intoxicate  

• TAKE BY THE TOP
vb. to seize by the hair, to lay hold of violently …1535

• TAKE CARE OF
vb. 1. to beat up; to kill …20C sl.
vb. 2. to arrest a person …1909 UK police sl.
vb. 3. to bribe; to exert (political) pressure on …1920s sl.
vb. 4. to have sexual intercourse with …1940s sl.
vb. 5. to cause trouble for …1950s sl.
vb. 6. to pay, to give a tip …1970s sl.

• TAKE-CARE-OF-BUSINESS
adj. efficient …1970s sl.
vb. (as ‘take care of business’) to deal efficiently with matters in hand …1950s sl., orig. African-American

• TAKE CARE OF NUMBER ONE
vb. to put oneself first, no matter what the situation …M19

• TAKE CARE OF NUMERO UNO
vb. to put oneself first, no matter what the situation …M19

• TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE
vb. to kill someone; to kill one or more, esp. as an expedient solution to a problem …1984 UK sl.

• TAKE DARNTON TROD
vb. to elude pursuit; to run away to escape punishment; to flee the country …1834 Eng. dial.

• TAKE DAY
vb. 1. to put off to another day; to delay …a1400 obs.
vb. 2. to appoint or fix a day for the transaction of some business; to make an appointment …c1400 obs.

• TAKE DOUBLE SIGHTS
vb. to place the thumb against the nose and close all the fingers except the little one, which is agitated as a token of derision …M19 sl.

• TAKE-DOWN
n. 1. a swindle; a deception …L19 sl.
n. 2. a win, as in gambling …L19 US sl.
n. 3. a deceiver or cheat …1905 Aust. sl.
n. 4. a thief, a swindler, a confidence man …c1920 Aust. sl.
n. 5. the amount earned …1990 US sl.
(verbs as ‘take down’)
vb. 1. to abuse …17C
vb. 2. to challenge; to overcome; to surpass; to kill …M18 sl.
vb. 3. to reduce in health; to emaciate; to lay low in sickness; to become sick or ill …1822 Sc. & Amer. dial.
vb. 4. to cheat, to swindle, to rob …M19 sl., orig. Aust.
vb. 5. to launch a boat …1887 Sc.
vb. 6. to take to pieces …1897 Sc.
vb. 7. to destroy, to dispose of …L19 sl.
vb. 8. to humiliate, to defeat …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
vb. 9 to reduce in circumstances; to lessen; to make bankrupt …Bk1905 Sc.
vb. 10. to weaken by dilution …Bk1905 Sc.
vb. 11. to arrest …1940s US criminals’ & police sl.
vb. 12. to have homosexual sexual intercourse …1960s US prison sl.

• TAKE DOWN A FEW PEGS
vb. to humiliate …Bk1892 Amer. sl.

• TAKE DOWN A HACK
vb. to humble, to humiliate …1910 Sc.

• TAKE DOWN A NOTCH
vb. to humiliate …Bk1892 Amer. sl.

• TAKE DOWN A PEG
vb. to humiliate …Bk1892 Amer. sl.

• TAKE DOWN A PEG OR TWO
vb. to humiliate …Bk1892 Amer. sl.

• TAKE-DOWN BRIGHTS
n. the very bright lights on a police car used when ordering a driver to pull over …1992 US sl.

• TAKE DOWN SOMEONE’S PARTICULARS
vb. of a man: to remove a woman’s underwear …1920s sl.

• TAKE DOWNTOWN
vb. in baseball: to hit a home run off (a pitcher) ..1978 Amer. sl.

• TAKE EGGS FOR MONEY
vb. to be put off with something worthless …1611 obs.

• TAKE FAT
vb. to take offense …1898 Eng. dial.

• TAKE FIRE
vb. to become ‘enflamed’ with some emotion or the like; to become excited, esp. with anger; to become enraged …1607

• TAKE FIVE
vb. 1. to take a short break, i.e. a 5-minute break …1910s US sl.
vb. 2. to leave …1960s US college sl.

• TAKE FOR AN AIRING
vb. to assassinate, usually by taking the victim out in a car and killing them at some stage, then dumping the body far from one’s base …1920s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE FOR AN INDOOR BUGGY RIDE
vb. to beat up, to thrash someone indoors; to punish drastically, inside the victim’s home or headquarters …1931 US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE FOR A RIDE
vb. 1. to deceive, to fool, to trick, usually for financial gain …1920s sl.
vb. 2. to assassinate, usually by taking the victim out in a car and killing them at some stage, then dumping the body far from one’s base …1927 US criminals’ sl.
vb. 3. to arrest …1930s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE FOR A TRIP
vb. to assassinate, usually by taking the victim out in a car and killing them at some stage, then dumping the body far from one’s base …1920s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE FOR A TROT
vb. to deceive, to fool, to trick, usually for financial gain …1920s sl.

• TAKE FOR A WALK
vb. to arrest …1930s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE FORTH
vb. 1. to learn …1530 obs.
vb. 2. to teach …1549 obs.

• TAKE FRENCH LEAVE
vb. to escape while on trust outside the prison walls …1935 US prison sl.

• TAKE FRENCH LESSONS
vb. to contract venereal disease …20C sl.

• TAKEFUL
adj. capturing, arresting …1901 Eng. dial.

• TAKEFUL-LOOKING
adj. attractive; captivating …Bk1905 Eng. dial.

• TAKE GAME
n. a confidence trick …1940s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE GAS
vb. 1. to be scolded and abused …1950s US sl.
vb. 2. to do badly …1960s US college sl.
vb. 3. to kill oneself by any method …1960s sl.

• TAKE GRUEL
vb. to die …L19 sl.

• TAKE GRUEL TOGETHER
vb. to live together as man and wife …L19 sl.

• TAKE HARES WITH FOXES
vb. to seek to do something almost impossible …1577 obs.

• TAKE HEAD
vb. to make a rush forward, to start running …1674 obs.

• TAKE HEART OF GRACE
vb. to pluck up courage ..1530

• TAKE HEAT
vb. 1. to lose money …1920s US sl.
vb. 2. to suffer or endure punishment or criticism …1920s US sl.

• TAKE-HEED
n. the act of taking heed, caution; a warning to take heed, a caution …1611 obs.

• TAKE-HOMES
n. a several-day supply of methadone …1989 US sl.

• TAKE ILL
vb. to take offense at, to take amiss …1596

• TAKE-IN
adj. deceptive, swindling …1819
n. a cheat, swindle, deception; a hoax, a fraud …1778 colloq.
n. 2. a swindler …E19 sl.
(verbs as ‘take in’)
vb. 1. to capture, to take prisoner, to conquer in war …1387 obs.
vb. 2. to go in, to enter …1654 obs. exc. Sc.
vb. 3. to deceive, to cheat, to trick, to impose upon, to hoax …1740 colloq.
vb. 4. to subdue …1792 Sc.
vb. 5. to arrest …L19 sl.
vb. 6. to receive lodgers …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
vb. 7. to understand …Bk1905 Eng. dial.

• TAKE IN AND DO FOR
vb. of a woman: to have sexual intercourse …19C sl.

• TAKE IN BEEF
vb. of a woman: to have sexual intercourse …19C sl.

• TAKE IN FANCY WORK
vb. to be addicted to secret prostitution …B1900 sl.

• TAKE IN FOR
vb. to defend, to stand up for …1897 Sc.

• TAKE IN LAUNDRY
vb. to wear underwear internally …2001 UK sl.

• TAKE IN ONE’S REED AND GEARS
vb. to die …1873 Eng. dial.

• TAKE IN ONE’S STRIDE
vb. to do easily, and without an effort, as a hunter or a steeple-fencer takes a fence …Bk1904 sl.

• TAKE IN SCHOOL
vb. to open school …1875 Amer. dial.

• TAKE IN SNUFF
vb. to be offended …L16 sl.

• TAKE INTO CAMP
vb. to kill …1878 sl.

• TAKE INTO THE WOODSHED
vb. to scold; to punish; to reprimand …1907 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IN WOOD
vb. to drink …M19 US sl.

• TAKE IT
int. used by one demanding fellatio …1930s homosexual sl.
vb. 1. to suffer adversity and unhappiness without complaint …20C sl.
vb. 2. to surpass others, to beat all rivals …1900s sl.
vb. 3. to accept a bribe …1920s US criminals’ sl.
vb. 4. to have sexual intercourse …1920s sl.

• TAKE IT ANY WAY
vb. to enjoy fellatio …1930s homosexual sl.

• TAKE IT AWAY!
int. commence the entertainment! start the music! …1984 UK sl.

• TAKE IT BIG
vb. 1. to react very emotionally; to be dismayed …1932 sl.
vb. 2. to fall in love …1960s sl.

• TAKE IT COOL
vb. to relax, to remain undisturbed by events …M19 sl.

• TAKE IT DOWN A THOUSAND!
int. relax! calm down! …1980s US college sl.

• TAKE IT DOWNTOWN
vb. in baseball: to hit a long home run …1977 Amer. sl.

• TAKE-IT-EASY
adj. easygoing; adapted for making oneself at ease, comfortable …1872
(verbs as ‘take it easy’)
vb. 1. to relax, to not worry about anything; to take time off …M19 sl.
vb. 2. to act calmly …M19 sl.
vb. 3. to drive more slowly …1930s sl.
vb. 4. to treat leniently …1950s sl.
(phrases as ‘take it easy’)
phr. 1. relax, don’t worry, calm down …M19 sl.
phr. 2. goodbye, see you later …1950s US

• TAKE IT FIGHTING
vb. to approach in a courageous manner; to act aggressively …L19 US sl.

• TAKE IT FROM THE HEAD
vb. to be murdered …1990s US gang sl.

• TAKE IT FROM THE TOP
vb. to start at the beginning …1930s US sl.

• TAKE IT HARD
vb. 1. to react emotionally, usually when distressed or angry …1930s US sl.
vb. 2. to fall in love …1960s sl.

• TAKE IT IN THE ASS
vb. to be brutally manhandled, victimized, or betrayed …1980 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT IN THE BLIND
vb. to fight in private in order to settle a score …20C US prison sl.

• TAKE IT IN THE EAR
vb. to be severely victimized or defeated; to be treated unfairly …1965 Amer. sl., esp. students’ usage

• TAKE IT IN THE SHORTS
vb. to be abused or defeated …1994 US sl.

• TAKE IT LIGHT
int. 1. take it easy, calm down …1959 Amer. sl.
int. 2. so long! …20C Amer. sl.
vb. to act in a restrained manner; to resist excess; to go slowly …1960s African-American sl.

• TAKE IT LYING DOWN
vb. 1. to give in without a fight, to act weakly …L19
vb. 2. of a woman: to submit to sexual intercourse, willing or otherwise …1950s sl.

• TAKE IT MAIN
vb. to inject narcotics into a vein …1940s drug culture sl.

• TAKE IT NELSON
vb. to relax …1996 UK sl.

• TAKE IT ON!
int. an exclamation of encouragement …1980s US college sl.

• TAKE IT ON HIGH
vb. 1. to go fast …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
vb. 2. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT ON ONE’S TOES
vb. to escape from prison or impending arrest …1950s sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE ARTHUR DUFFY
vb. 1. to leave quickly …1905 US sl.
vb. 2. to run away, to escape from prison …c1915 US prison sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE ARTHUR K. DUFFY
vb. to run away, to escape …1936 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE CHIN
vb. 1. in boxing: to be hit squarely on the chin; hence, to suffer serious reversal, loss, etc. …1922 Amer. sl.
vb. 2. to suffer a severe failure; to undergo complete defeat or frustration …20C Amer. colloq.
vb. 3. to suffer hardship and adversity without complaint …1920s, orig. US

• TAKE IT ON THE DAN O’LEARY
vb. to run, to run off, to escape …1900s US sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE HAMMER
vb. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE HEEL AND TOE
vb. to depart, esp. swiftly and quietly to evade justice; to escape from prison …c1915 US prison sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE HOOF
vb. to run off, to leave quickly …1900s US sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE HOP
vb. to leave, to go away …1960s African-American sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE JESSE OWENS
vb. to run, to run off, to escape …1900s US sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE LAM
vb. to run away; to flee, esp. from authorities; to escape; to depart hurriedly …1904 US sl., orig. criminals’ usage

• TAKE IT ON THE LOPE
vb. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE NUT
vb. to lose …1940s US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE SCRAM
vb. to depart hurriedly …Bk1942 Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT ON THE TROT
vb. to run off, to leave at speed …1930s sl.

• TAKE IT OUT
vb. to serve a prison term rather than pay a fine …L19 Aust. sl.

• TAKE IT OUT IN TRADE
vb. to have sexual intercourse as the ‘price’ of taking a woman out …1940s Amer. sl.

• TAKE IT OUT OF
vb. 1. to humiliate …Bk1892 Amer. sl.
vb. 2. to exhaust; to sap one’s strength or energy …Bk2002 Aust. sl.

• TAKE IT OUT OF ONE
vb. to tire, to exhaust …M19 sl.

• TAKE IT OUT OF SOMEONE
vb. 1. to take revenge on, to get one’s satisfaction from …E19 sl.
vb. 2. to surpass …1900s sl.

• TAKE IT OUT ON
vb. to treat badly, to punish, often an innocent victim …20C US sl.

• TAKE IT SLOW
phr. 1. be careful …1930s sl., orig. African-American
phr. 2. calm down, quieten down, relax …1930s sl., orig. African-American
phr. 3. goodbye, see you later …1930s sl., orig. African-American

• TAKE IT TO THE HOOP
vb. to take something to its limit; to do something with maximum commitment …1980s African-American sl.

• TAKE IT TO THE SQUARE
vb. to call out for a fight …2000s US prison sl.

• TAKE IT TO THE STREET
vb. to take a private conflict or issue into the public arena …20C US sl.

• TAKE IT TO THE VENT
vb. to commit suicide …1989 US sl.

• TAKE IT UP THE ARSE
vb. 1. to submit to anal intercourse …1940s sl., orig. US
vb. 2. to submit to a more powerful force …2000 UK sl.

• TAKE IT UP THE ASS
int. an expression of contempt …1940s sl.
vb. 1. to submit to anal intercourse …1940s sl., orig. US
vb. 2. to be victimized; to be treated unfairly or harshly …1980s sl.

• TAKE IT UP THE BUM
vb. to submit to anal intercourse …1940s sl., orig. US

• TAKE IT UP THE DIRT ROAD
vb. to be sodomized …1950s sl.

• TAKE JOINT
n. a dishonest cabaret; a crooked gambling-den …1933 US criminals’ sl.

• TAKE LAG
vb. to criticize, to attack verbally …1950s W. Indies & Black British sl.

• TAKE LARGE STOCK
vb. to care about, to see as important, to take account of …M19 sl., orig. US

• TAKE LEATHER
vb. to hold on to the saddle while riding a horse …1922 Amer. dial.

• TAKE LEG BAIL
vb. 1774 Sc. – to run away, esp. from a debt or a responsibility; to escape

• TAKE LOW
vb. 1942 Amer. dial. – to humble oneself, or accept a lower position  

• TAKE LOW BRIDGE
vb. 1940 Amer. dial. – to humble oneself, or accept a lower position  

• TAKE LUDGATE
vb. 1585 obs. – to play the bankrupt

• TAKE MAN
n. 1. 1975 Aust. criminals’ sl. – in a shoplifting team, the member who actually steals the targeted object  
n. 2. 1975 Aust. sl. – the member of a criminal gang who actually steals the money  

• TAKE MAN FOR HIS JACK
vb. 1925 UK criminals’ sl. – to rob him of his money  

• TAKE MATTERS INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS
vb. 20C sl. – to masturbate  

• TAKE METTLE
vb. 1844 Eng. dial. – to take courage  

• TAKE MIFF
vb. 1750 Eng. dial. – to take offense, to be affronted  

• TAKE MONEY
n. the proceeds of a robbery or other illegal scheme …1975 US sl.

• TAKE MR. FOOT’S HORSE
vb. to walk …B1900 sl.

• TAKEN
adj. rendered unconscious by drugs …1920s US euphemism

• TAKE NAPPING
vb. to take unawares …1587 sl.

• TAKEN-AWAY
n. an unhealthy, puny child; a changeling …1823 Sc.

• TAKEN DOWN
adj. sickened …1822 Amer. dial.

• TAKE NEBUCHADNEZZAR OUT TO GRASS
vb. to copulate …Bk1902 sl.

• TAKE NIGHT TO MAKE DAY
vb. to make an all-out effort …1986 Trinidad and Tobago

• TAKEN-LIKE
adj. pleased …1899 Sc.

• TAKE-NO-PRISONERS
adj. uncompromising ..1980s sl.
vb. (‘take no prisoners’) to make no compromises; to act resolutely …1980s sl.

• TAKE NO SHORTS
vb. to refuse to be fooled, cheated, or put at a disadvantage …1980s African-American sl.

• TAKE NOTICE
vb. of a widow or widower: to be receptive to the idea of remarriage; to be in search of a new spouse …1875 Amer. dial.

• TAKEN SHORT
adj. desperate to urinate or defecate …1890 UK sl.

• TAKEN UP
adj. arrested …E18 sl.