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[take stock in]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have faith in; trust; believe. — Usually used in the negative. •/He took no stock in the idea that women were better cooks than men./ •/They took little or no stock in the boy’s story that he had lost the money./ •/Do you take any stock in the gossip about Joan?/

[take the bit in one’s mouth] also [take the bit in one’s teeth]{adv. phr.} To have your own way; take charge of things; take control of something. •/When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit in her teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare: TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS, TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.

[take the bread out of one’s mouth]{v. phr.} To take away or not give your rightful support, especially through selfish pleasure. •/She accused her husband of drinking and gambling — taking bread out of his children’s mouths./

[take the bull by the horns]{v. phr.}, {informal} To take definite action and not care about risks; act bravely in a difficulty. •/He decided to take the bull by the horns and demand a raise in salary even though it might cost him his job./ Compare: TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH, TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.

[take the cake]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take the first prize; be the best; rank first. •/Mr. Jones takes the cake as a storyteller./ 2. To be the limit; to be the worst; have a lot of nerve; be a very rude, bold, or surprising action. •/I let Jack borrow my baseball and he never gave it back. Doesn’t that take the cake?/ •/For being absent-minded, Mr. Smith takes the cake./ Compare: BEAT ALL.

[take the day off] See: DAY OFF.

[take the defensive] Contrast: TAKE THE OFFENSIVE.

[take the edge off] also [take off the edge]{v. phr.} To lessen, weaken, soften or make dull. •/Eating a candy bar before dinner has taken the edge off Becky’s appetite./ •/Bob was sorry for hurting Tom and that took the edge off Tom’s anger./ •/A headache took the edge off Dick’s pleasure in the movie./

[take the fifth]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Taking refuge behind the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States which guarantees any witness the right not to incriminate himself while testifying at a trial. •/Alger Hiss took the Fifth when asked whether he was a member of the Communist Party./ 2. Not to answer any question in an informal setting. •/Have you been married before? — I take the Fifth./

[take the floor]{v. phr.} To get up and make a speech in a meeting. •/The audience became very attentive the moment the president took the floor./

[take the law into one’s own hands]{v. phr.} To protect one’s supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. — An overused expression. •/When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged him to a tree./ •/His farm was going to be sold for taxes, but he took the law into his own hands and drove the sheriff away with a shotgun./ Compare: LAW UNTO ONESELF, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH.

[take the lid off]{v. phr.} 1. To let out in the open; divulge. •/It’s about time to take the lid off the question of how many prisoners of war are still in enemy hands./ 2. To start to face an issue. •/"The best way to deal with your divorce," the doctor said to Fran, "is to take the lid off of it."/ Compare: BLOW THE LID OFF, LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.

[take the measure of] See: TAKE ONE’S MEASURE.

[take the offensive]{v. phr.} To make oneself the attacking party. •/After many months of preparation, the freedom fighters were ready to take the offensive./ Contrast TAKE THE DEFENSIVE.

[take the pledge]{v. phr.} To swear to give up drinking, smoking, or using drugs. •/Gary finally took the pledge and he has kept it thus far./

[take the plunge]{v. phr.} To take a fatal or decisive step; venture. •/When I asked Don when he and Melissa were going to get married, he answered that they’ll take the plunge in September./

[take the rap]{v. phr.}, {slang} To receive punishment; to be accused and punished. •/All of the boys took apples, but only John took the rap./ •/Joe took the burglary rap for his brother and went to prison for two years./

[take the stand]{v. phr.} To assume one’s position in the witness box during a trial. •/The judge asked the defendant to take the stand./

[take the starch out of]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make (someone) feel weak or tired. •/The hot weather took the starch out of Mrs. Jones, and she didn’t feel like doing a thing./ •/The cross-country run took all the starch out of the boys./ 2. See: TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE’S SAILS.

[take the stump] or [take to the stump]{v. phr.} To travel around to different places making political speeches. •/The men running for president took to the stump to attract votes./

[take the trouble] See: GO TO THE TROUBLE.

[take the wind out of one’s sails]{v. phr.} To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. •/John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one./ •/Dick took the wind out of Bob’s sails by showing him where he was wrong./ Compare: TAKE THE STARCH OUT OF(2).