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

take a leave • take leave • take one’s leave
take a leave —(also: take a leave of absence) take a holiday: I
took a leave without pay because I was, of course, being paid
by the Colonial Office to go there.
take leave —
1
. part (from a person) with some expression of
farewell: Before he went abroad, he took leave of all his asso-
ciates. 2. (formal) dare to do smth. without the permission or
suggestion of another person: There is still one point more I
must take leave to mention.
take one’s leave —
1
. go away; depart: A terror seizing me lest
this might be a preliminary to another fit of hysterics, I imme-
diately took my leave. 2. = take leave 
1
: Gentle reader, having
taken my leave of Mr. Slick, it is now fit I should take my
leave of you.
take a liberty • take the liberty
take a liberty —(also: take liberties) 
1
. be unduly or improp-
erly familiar with a person: He would be a bold man who ven-
tured to take a liberty with her, or to overstep the limits laid
down by her. 2. make free with smth. such as rules, facts, etc.:
I’ll take a liberty with the phrase. To call this man a minister
is to stretch the meaning of the words, but I’ll describe him
as that. 3. dare to do smth. without the permission or sug-
gestion of another person: I have taken a liberty to publish
your article hoping that you would not be against it.
take the liberty — = take a liberty 3: I have taken the liberty
of switching off your car lights.
take a long look • take a long view
take a long look —(also: take a long, hard look) make a
detailed and intense examination: Wisconsin residents should
take a long look at what their so-called representatives are
doing with their money.
take a long view —consider events, etc. a long time ahead;
have regard for the future: Kennedy called for Americans to
take a long view when analyzing their current situation.