| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| take up the slack |
do somebody's work, fill in
|
When I'm away, Hal takes up the slack. He does my job.
|
| take with a grain of salt |
(See take it with a grain of salt)
|
|
| take you down a peg |
(See knock you down a peg)
|
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| take you for all you've got |
take all your money by suing you or cheating you
|
If she divorces you, she could take you for all you've got.
|
| take you in |
give you shelter and food, take care of
|
Will your relatives take you in if you lose your job?
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| take you to court |
sue you, bring a lawsuit against you
|
If you don't pay for the damage, they could take you to court.
|
| take you to task |
ask you to explain, haul you up on the carpet
|
Did Reverend Klinck take you to task for drinking beer? Did he tell you drinking is a sin?
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| take you to the cleaners |
defeat you badly, win by many points
|
If you play checkers with Lars, he'll take you to the cleaners.
|
| take your lumps |
endure bumps and hits, suffer through injuries
|
To play hockey, you have to learn to take your lumps.
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| take your pick |
choose one, say which one you prefer
|
You can have Coke or Pepsi. Take your pick.
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