Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) profits, e.g. the entrance money taken at a musical, sporting or gambling event.

1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 11 Nov. 3/1: He not onlv improved the business of the ‘star,’ but he assured her success. He brought her $12,500. There's a big ‘take’ for you, .
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 84: Take, ‘how much was the take,’ gate receipts.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 187: Take. – A collection, or the proceeds of an entertainment or show.
1946		W.L. Gresham Nightmare Alley (1947) 243: There had been eleven thousand – and the ‘take.’.
1958		R. Prather Scrambled Yeggs 8: They rig the pay-off on a phony slip and split the take.
1965		G. Melly Owning Up (1974) 99: The men who owned the rehearsal room insisted on half the take.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 272: Skimming the take would’ve been suicide.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 35: They’re trying to work out how that lad behind the bar is skimming two ton off’ve the take.
2012		T.P. McCauley ‘Lady Madeline’s Dive’ in ThugLit Sept./Oct. [ebook] ‘We make plenty off what we take in, even with Archie gettin’ his cut.’ ‘The take says different’.

2. money acquired by theft or fraud.

1888		Puck’s Library (N.Y.) May 25: This would make the labour so much lighter, that every time a girl went to set a pound of candy she would consider that she had a good fat take [F&H].
1935		D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 197: We’re the boys that supply the steady take for the big shots.
1943		W.R. Burnett Nobody Lives for Ever 24: ‘He was the greatest con man that ever lived. He took some English Duke for a hundred thousand pounds. That’s a take!’ .
1947		‘F. Bonnamy’ Self Portrait of Murder (1951) 117: He came back to O’Donnell to be cut in on the big take.
1952		W.R. Burnett Little Men, Big World 107: The take rose steadily week by week, bookie arrests fell sharply, and the big madams, with the exception of Mrs. Lansing, who was still in clink, operated unmolested.
1963		B. Hecht Gaily, Gaily 86: Indeed, all our public guardians of today, swanking around on their underworld takes, must pay homage to Jim Colosimo as the founding father of their corruption.
1975		D. Goines Inner City Hoodlum 149: It ain’t gonna be much of a take, bro.
1980		(con. 1940s–60s) H. Huncke ‘Detroit Redhead’ in Eve. Sun Turned Crimson (1998) 111: Finally they made the take in Washington.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 147: A take-down was a swindle, living on as a take and i’ve been taken.
2004		J. Ellroy ‘Jungletown Jihad’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 342: Three heists in ’01, chump change takes all.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 44: He would have to do more than promise her a cut of the take.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 7: I’m corrosively corruptible and tempted by the take.
2023		A. Nette Orphan Road 204: ‘He had enough on his plate with the cops and other crims trying to muscle in on the take from the robbery’.

3. (US) a share of money that is deducted for tax or some other form of levy.

1987

R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 169: Oh, I heard about you. What’s your take?

4. (US) a portion, an extract, a bit.

1931

‘Und. “Lingo” Brought Up-to-Date’ L.A. Times 8 Nov. K16: TAKE: Share.

5. (orig. US) bribery.

1950		(con. 1936–46) K.S. Prichard Winged Seeds (1984) 363: There’s some decent blokes among the dees, and some in ‘the take’, still, the boys tell me.
1973		L. Shecter On the Pad 362: [T]he kind of man who slips so easily into the tradition of the take.

6. (Aus.) a thief, a villain, esp. a cheat at cards.

1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 145: People who had only known him as a ‘smartie’ and a ‘take’ were astounded when the racing world turned out in force to give him a slap-up funeral.
1968		J. Alard He who Shoots Last 48: It’s good ta see ya, ya bloody old take.

7. wages.

1999

K. Sampson Powder 203: The summer take would need to be eked out until next May.