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An Asian Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary
Take liberties (with somebody) - Old-fashioned?
Hi,
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English notes that "Take liberties (with somebody)" is old-fashioned. But Answer.com and The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms don't mention if it's old-fashioned or not.
If it is old-fashioned, can you give the equivalent word/idiom which is currently in use?
Thank you.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English notes that "Take liberties (with somebody)" is old-fashioned. But Answer.com and The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms don't mention if it's old-fashioned or not.
If it is old-fashioned, can you give the equivalent word/idiom which is currently in use?
Thank you.
Top answer
It's both take liberties/liberTY with ... Still current (1996): ------------ 'Sleepers' Debate Renewed: How True Is a 'True Story'? - New York ...
- It's both take liberties/liberTY with ...
- Still current (1996): ------------ 'Sleepers' Debate Renewed: How True Is a 'True Story'?
- - New York ...
- Hollywood studios often take liberties with facts.
- The current ''Michael Collins,'' about the Irish independence leader, and in recent years ''Schindler's ...
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8 Answers
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It's both take liberties/liberTY with ...
Still current (1996):
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Still current (1996):
------------
'Sleepers' Debate Renewed: How True Is a 'True Story'? - New York ...
| Hollywood studios often |
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I was about to say that it's very old fashioned, thinking only of the meaning of a gentleman taking liberties with a lady.
But the use shown by MH is quite common.
But the use shown by MH is quite common.
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a gentleman taking liberties with a lady
Barb -- someone who takes liberties with a lady is no gentleman!
Barb -- someone who takes liberties with a lady is no gentleman!
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You know, I had originally written a man taking liberties with a lady for that reason, but it looked funny, and I thought using "lady" and "gentleman" gave it a slightly more old-fashioned air.
It wouldn't work with a dude taking liberties with some chick, would it?
It wouldn't work with a dude taking liberties with some chick, would it?
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Thanks MH. But please note I am asking about "take liberties with SOMEBODY", not "take liberties with SOMETHING".
GG, if it's very old-fashioned, what is the current equivalent? (Nobody takes liberties with anybody nowadays anymore???). My bilingual dictionary gives a couple of words, but when I check back with some English-English dictionaries, they mean something different.
GG, if it's very old-fashioned, what is the current equivalent? (Nobody takes liberties with anybody nowadays anymore???). My bilingual dictionary gives a couple of words, but when I check back with some English-English dictionaries, they mean something different.
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It's the same meaning with smby/smth
To abuse someone/something, to cross some acceptable limits (including in a sexual way), in some way or another
Still from BBC:
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Last Updated: Thursday, 12 May, 2005
BBC SPORT | Football | My
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Modern equivalents . . .there are a lot of possibilities, depending on the situation -- make a pass at, get fresh with (not all that modern, but better than "take liberties with"), take advantage of, engage in sexual harrassment, . . .
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Thanks Khoff.
MH, you are right. I googled and found the phrase’s still in use. Probably what is "old-fashioned" is the sexual-abuse implication of the idiom as it stands. Now people tend to add some explicit adjectives like "sexual, indecent, inappropriate..." to the idiom to make things clear. That's only my assumption from the following examples:
Daily News Journal (sub
MH, you are right. I googled and found the phrase’s still in use. Probably what is "old-fashioned" is the sexual-abuse implication of the idiom as it stands. Now people tend to add some explicit adjectives like "sexual, indecent, inappropriate..." to the idiom to make things clear. That's only my assumption from the following examples:
Daily News Journal (sub
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