Phrases & Expressions

To feel offended or annoyed by something and object to it strongly.

• Many readers took exception to the article's suggestion that young people are lazy and unwilling to work.
• The minister took great exception to being described as out of touch with ordinary voters.

To eat whatever meal your host already has, because nothing special has been prepared for you.

• When friends drop in unexpectedly, we invite them to take pot luck and share whatever we are having.
• My flatmate invited three friends round at short notice, so they had to take pot luck with whatever was in the fridge.

To become firmly established and accepted by many people, used about ideas or customs.

• It took several decades for the idea of recycling to take root in most European households.
• Once a culture of long working hours takes root in a company, it is very difficult to change.

To deal calmly with a problem or difficult situation without letting it upset you.

• Moving to a new country can be stressful, but most young children take the change in their stride.
• She lost her job last spring, but she took it in her stride and soon started her own business.

To deal with a crime or wrongdoer personally, often violently, rather than relying on the police.

• After a string of burglaries, some residents took the law into their own hands and attacked a suspect.
• However angry you feel, it is never acceptable for people to take the law into their own hands.

To take an action that nobody has taken before, usually in response to an exceptional situation.

• The university took the unprecedented step of cancelling all its exams during the pandemic.
• Last year the football league took the unprecedented step of banning fans from every match for a month.

To take a serious risk of getting hurt or killed by doing something.

• Cyclists in this city take their lives in their hands every time they ride in rush-hour traffic.
• You'd be taking your life in your hands if you went hiking in those mountains without a guide.

To talk about your job or business in a social situation, outside work.

• Whenever my parents' doctor friends come for dinner, they end up talking shop all evening.
• My partner hates it when I talk shop with my colleagues at dinner parties.

To ask trusted contacts for information that can help you report or understand a story.

• The reporter tapped her sources inside the hospital to find out why the ward had been closed.
• Good investigative journalists know how to tap their sources without putting them at risk.

Difficult because it involves a lot of specialised scientific or practical knowledge.

• Engineers say that repairing the damaged bridge safely will be technically complex and extremely expensive.
• Repairing modern cars has become so technically complex that mechanics often need special training.