A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase take the rap—(coll.) accept responsibility and the conse-
quent punishment: Arresting me? Nonsense! In any case, what
about you? Do you think I would leave you here to take the
rap?
take some beating —(also: take a lot of beating ) be of very
high quality and unlikely to be surpassed: Farnborough Air
Show takes some beating. It’s an incredible experience and a
fantastic show.
take a chair • take the chair
take a chair —(also: have a chair) take a seat; be seated: When
he came back to the house he refused to take a chair or a drink.
take the chair —
1
. preside over a meeting, committee, etc.:
At my third meeting I was asked to take the chair. I consented
as offhandedly as if I were the Speaker of the House of Com-
mons. 2. become head of a university department: Clark con-
tinued to teach at Melbourne until 
1
949, when he took the
Chair of History at Canberra University College.
Note: 
The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with
– 311 –
take a chair

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the phrase get the chair—
1
. (coll.) be electrocuted: He could …
get you off, maybe with life or twenty years, while this way
you’re likely to get the chair, sure. 2. = take the chair 2: A few
years later, I got the chair of Zoology at Lund University, and
Eric got a permanent position soon after.
take a count • take the count
take a count—estimate how many there are of smth.: By
taking a count we established that catering units were covering
their seats 250 per cent at lunch time.
take the count—
1
. = take a count: Deborah took the count
of members who plan to attend and asked them to refer to
her any special needs. 2. (Boxing ) be knocked out: “I nearly
took the count that time, old fellow,” he said. 3. be overcome
or defeated: He took the count, having picked an election
fight with the Prime Minister on the latter’s home ground.