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

take an observation
(make an observa-
tion)
take care of someone 
(care for someone)
take care of something
(care about
something )
take care to do something 
(care to do
something )
take control of something 
(bring
something under control)
take count 
(take a count)
take earth 
(take ground)
take exception to something 
(make an
exception for something )
take flight 
(take a flight)
take hold of someone
(get hold of
someone)
take holy orders 
(enter a religious
order)
take in breath
(take breath)
take in water 
(take the water)
take it ill 
(be taken ill)
take it into one’s head
(get it into one’s
head)
take it out on someone
(take it out of
someone)
take it through the nose 
(take it on the
nose)
take kindly to someone
(take kindly of
someone)
take leave 
(take a leave)
take notes of something 
(take note of
something )
take notice 
(give notice)
take off after someone
(take after
someone)
take off the gloves 
(put on the gloves)
take one’s leave 
(take a leave)
take one’s life 
(take one’s life in both
hands)
take one’s life in one’s hands
(take
one’s life in both hands)
take one’s own medicine 
(take one’s
medicine)
take one’s place
(take a place)
take one’s seat 
(take a seat)
take one’s seat on the bench
(take a
seat)
take one’s time 
(take one’s hour)
take orders
(take one’s orders)
take-out 
(out-take)
take place
(take a place)
take pleasure in someone’s company
(have the pleasure of someone’s com-
pany)
take rank with someone
(take rank of
someone)
take some beating
(take a beating )
take someone at advantage
(take
advantage of someone)
take someone down 
(get someone down)
take someone down a peg 
(peg some-
one down)
take someone for a ride
(give someone
a ride)
take someone for a sleigh ride
(take a
sleigh ride)
take someone in charge
(take charge of
someone)
take someone into one’s care 
(take
someone into care)
take someone off
(take someone away)
take someone on one side
(put some-
thing on one side)
take someone on trial
(put someone on
trial)
take someone out of oneself 
(put
someone out of oneself )
take someone to bed 
(put someone to
bed)
Phrase Index
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370 –

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take someone’s breath away
(stop
someone’s breath)
take someone’s measure
(take one’s
measures)
take someone’s word
(take someone at
his word)
take something in good part 
(take a
good part of something )
take something in hand
(put something
in hand)
take something in one’s stride
(get
into one’s stride)
take something over 
(overtake some-
thing )
take something to heart 
(take heart at
something )
take something to pieces
(pull some-
thing to pieces)
take stock of something
(take stock in
something )
take the air
(take air)
take the bull by the horns
(catch a
tiger by the tail)
take the chair
(take a chair)
take the count 
(take a count)
take the fall
(take a fall)
take the fancy of someone
(take a
fancy to someone)
take the fifth
(take five)
take the floor
(have the floor)
take the ground 
(take ground)
take the heat off something 
(take the
heat for something )
take the law into one’s own hands 
(be
a law unto oneself )
take the liberty 
(take a liberty)
take the lid off something 
(put the lid
on something )
take the mickey out of someone 
(give
someone a Mickey Finn)
take the needle
(take needles)
take the place of someone 
(put oneself
in someone’s place)
take the plunge
(jump in the lake)
take the rap 
(take a beating )
take the rise out of someone
(get a rise
out of someone)
take the service 
(take the service)
take the shape 
(take shape)
take the shine out of someone
(take a
shine to someone)
take the stand
(take one’s stand)
take the stand on something
(take a
stand on something )
take the trouble to do something
(have trouble to do something )
take the waters
(take the water)
take the words out of someone’s
mouth 
(put words into someone’s
mouth)
take time
(take the time)
take time by the forelock 
(take the
time)
take time out
(take time off )
take time to smell the roses 
(come up
roses)
take to bed 
(go to bed)
take to one’s legs 
(take to one’s feet)
take to the road
(take the road)
take to the streets
(go on the streets)
take to the woods 
(be out of the woods)
take trouble over something
(have
trouble over something )
take turns
(take a turn)
take two bites of a cherry
(run after
two hares)
take up for someone 
(take it up with
someone)
take up the ball 
(drop the ball)
take up the cudgel 
(take up the baton)
take up with someone 
(take it up with
someone)
take wind
(take the breeze)
takehome 
(takeaway)
taken up short
(taken short)
taken with someone
(taken up with
someone
taken with something
(taken up with
something )
talk cold turkey 
(go cold turkey)
talk highly 
(short talk)
talk in English 
(talk English)
talk large
(talk at large)
talk like a Dutch uncle 
(talk double
Dutch)
talk over something
(talk on some-
thing )
talk-shop 
(talk shop)
talk small 
(talk big )
talk small talk 
(talk small)
talk someone down
(chat someone up)
talk someone up
(chat someone up)
talk something out
(speak something
out)
talk something through with some-
one 
(talk someone through something )
talk the talk 
(tell tales)
talk to someone
(talk at someone)
talk up to someone 
(talk down to
someone)
talking about something
(talk about
something )
talking head 
(shouting head)
tall order
(short order)
tall story 
(long story)
tall talk 
(short talk)
tallboy 
(high-boy)
tape recorder
(tape machine)
tarred with the same brush
(bitten by
the same bug )
taste bad 
(be in bad taste)
taste of something (taste like some-
thing )
tax evasion
(tax avoidance)
tea girl 
(tea boy)
tea lady
(tea hostess)
tea man 
(tea boy)
teach a pig to play the piano
(teach an
old dog new tricks)
teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs
(teach an old dog new tricks)
tear someone up 
(tear someone down)
tear something up 
(tear something
down)
telephone man
(telephone girl)
television series
(television serial)
tell against someone 
(speak against
someone)
tell me the old, old story 
(it’s the same
old, old story)
tell on someone
(speak against someone)
tell tales out of school 
(tell tales)
tell the same tale 
(talk the same lan-
guage)
tell the tale 
(tell tales)
ten to the dozen 
(dime a dozen, a)
tend to something 
(tend something )
tent camper 
(tent-boy)
tent-man 
(tent-boy)
test drive
(driving test)
test someone on something 
(test some-
one for something )
tester bed
(test bed)
tête-à-tête
(face to face)
thanks but no thanks to 
(no thanks
to)
thanks for having me
(let’s be having
you)
thanks offering
(offer one’s thanks)
thanksgiving
(offer one’s thanks)
that cat won’t jump
(see how the cat
jumps)
that will never do 
(that will do)
that’s about your size 
(that’s about the
size of it)
that’s all she wrote 
(nothing to write
home about)
that’s right 
(that’s all right)
that’s the end of it 
(that’s the end of the
ball game)
that’s the end of the line
(that’s the
end of the ball game)
that’s the idea
(that’s an idea)
that’s the story of my life 
(that’s my
story and I’m sticking to it)
that’s the thing
(it’s just the thing )
that’s the way the ball bounces 
(that’s
the ball game)
that’s the way the cow eats the cab-
bage 
(that’s the way the cookie crum-
bles)
that’s the way to go (that’s the way it
goes)
theater of operations
(operating the-
ater)
there are more ways than one to kill a
cat 
(there are no two ways about it)
there are no buts about it
(but me no
buts)
there are other fish in the sea
(have
bigger fish to fry)
there are too many cooks 
(there are
too many chiefs)
there goes
(here goes)
there is a screw loose
(have a screw
loose)
there is a time for everything 
(there is
a first time for everything )