take it, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

take it v.

1. to have sexual intercourse.

1833		‘The Gape-Hole’ in Funny Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 47: And every mot did take it, / Take it from the men.
1857		Venus’ Miscellany (NY) 31 Jan. n.p.: A Standing Joke. [...] ‘My pretty girl [...] if you get in here [i.e. a crowded coach] you will have to take it standing, it is the only way’.
1910		I.L. Pavia Jahrbuch für sexuelle Zwischenstufen No. 11 41: To take it = passive Paderastie ausiiben [GS].
1923		R. McAlmon Companion Volume 50: Christ, on a night like this I could take it.
c.1925		R. McAlmon Miss Knight (1963) 66: She [...] out of a now gayer mood and of an habitual bitchy gaiety, shouted across the aisle to a Germany boy she knew, ‘Oh you Suzie stoopantakit, I got your number. It’s – 96 – ain’t it? You know, dearie, I think yer queer.’.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 44: ‘Do you take it?’ he says. Gawd, she di’nt half carry on. Thought she was going to jump straight down his throat. ‘That’s all right,’ says Reg [...] ‘I meant sugar in your tea.’.
1967		J. Orton Diaries (1986) 19 May 175: ‘I like to fuck, wherever possible,’ I said. He leaned across and said in a confidential tone, ‘I take it.’.

2. to be killed.

1916

‘Sapper’ ‘The Motor-Gun’ in Men, Women & Guns xviii: ‘Gawd! Old Ginger’s took it [...] Ginger’s done in!’.

3. see take it up the arse under arse n.

In phrases

take it any way (v.)

(gay) to enjoy fellatio.

1941

G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

take it easy [SE colloq. v. take it easy, to relax]

1. as imper.: a phr. meaning relax, don’t worry, calm down, be careful.

1835		G.P.R. James Gypsy 320: Take it easy, take it easy, Dickon, my chick [...] never let 's kick up a row among ourselves.
1840		T. Haliburton Clockmaker III 24: Sam, says I to myself, be a man; be cool, – take it easy.
1863		C. Reade Hard Cash II 354: Only you musn’t excite yourself. Take it easy.
1868		H.L. Williams Black-Eyed Beauty 37: Take it easy! [...] Pull up a bit!
1889		Sevenoaks Chron. 31 May 7/1: Take it easy men of muscle! / Take it easy men of brain! / You may stumble if you hurry / And you nothing then will gain.
1898		E. Pugh Tony Drum 181: That’s right. Go on. Take it easy. Don’t flurry yourself.
1908		F. Harris Bomb 40: Take it aisy, man.
1918		‘Max Brand’ ‘Above the Law’ in Coll. Stories (1994) 40: Take it easy, kid.
1926		Boys’ Realm 16 Jan. 267: Take it easy! I’m warning you!
1934		R. Sale ‘A Nose for News’ in Goulart (1967) 209: Take it easy, boys. I’m telling the God’s honest truth.
1938		R. Chandler ‘Red Wind’ in Red Wind (1946) 33: Take it easy, boy. Easy. Just sit tight and sit still.
1939		Rover 18 Feb. 8: ‘Take it easy!’ said Sam.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 150: Take it easy, Frankie, we’re in the clear.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 219: Okay, guv, take it easy. We’ll get you there, don’t you worry.
1965		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Confessions 15: Now take it easy Brendan, you’re all right.
1979		Fantastic Four Annual 19: Take it easy, Ben!
1983		A-Team Storybook 35: Take it easy, B.A.
1990		R. Campbell Sweet La-La Land (1999) 99: Take it easy [...] Don’t get your balls in an uproar.
2000		C. Cook Robbers (2001) 75: Jesus Christ, man, take it easy. We just got here.

2. (US) a phr. meaning goodbye, see you later.

1944		E. Zimmer postcard 23 Sept. Hope you both and Benjie are well. Take it easy. Love, Esther.
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 27: Take it easy, Mick.
a.1953		‘Death Row’ in D. Wepman et al. Life (1976) 119: Now I give my regards to all Death Row. / ‘Take it easy, Rabbit. I’ll see you later, Joe.’.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 84: ‘Well, take it easy,’ I said. ‘See you around.’.
1973		in C. Browne Body Shop 42: Take it easy, boys, and good luck.
1980		(con. 1940s–60s) H. Huncke ‘Johnnie I’ in Eve. Sun Turned Crimson (1980) in Huncke Reader (1998) 118: Reaching the subway – he said, ‘I split here – take it easy – so long.’.
1997		C. McPherson The Weir 64: Take it easy now, Finbar. Look after yourself.
2006		G. Pelecanos Night Gardener 25: ‘Take it easy, Doc,’ said Bonano.
2022		in D. Andrew Aussie Sl.

take it from the head (v.) [the gunshot to the head]

(US gang) to be murdered.

1997

G. Sikes 8 Ball Chicks (1998) 227: He said, ‘You know you’re going to take it from the head.’ ‘From the head’ means getting taken out in a body bag.

take it in the blind (v.) [i.e. no one else is aware of the activity]

(US prison) to fight in private to settle a score.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 91: Take It in the Blind Refers to inmates settling an argument or fight out of view of prison guards.

take it light (v.) [var. on SE colloq. v. take it easy, to relax]

(US black) to act in a restrained manner, to resist excess, to go slowly.

1966		H.L. Foster ‘Cant of the Disadvantaged, Socially Maladjusted, Secondary School Child’ in Urban Education Jan. 108: take it light: take it easy.
1971		R.T. Sale Blackstone Rangers 20: Joel said: ‘They seen us, man.’ ‘I know.’ ‘Take it light.’ ‘I’m fine’.
1977		J. Sayles Union Dues (1978) 380: Okay, buddy, take it light.
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 51: Take it light and tell me what happened.

take it on the run (v.)

(US) to run away.

1904		Phila. Inquirer 22 May Pt. II 3/5–6: If a ‘gun’ or thief is pursued by the fly cops he no longer ‘takes it on the run,’ as he did last year; he ‘tin cans.’.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 80: Gee! They took it on the run, all right.
1915		O.O. McIntyre Day By Day in New York 2 Apr. [synd. col.] The bold bad kidnapers took it on the run for Centre Street.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 6: The female patrons standin’ idly by waitin’ for the said chops, let forth a dumfounded shriek and took it on the run.
1931		‘Toledo Slim’ in Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 230: We dropped the swag quick as a flash, and took it on the run.

take it out (v.)

(Aus.) to serve a prison term rather than pay a fine.

1849		S. Aus. Register (SA) 22 Aug. 3/4: His Worship— You can have a week to pay the fine. Mrs Day— Then I think I shall take it out.
1849		Geelong Advertiser (Vic.) 20 Oct. 2/3: The prisoner turned round to his master and impudently remarked, ‘You shall not get forty shillings out of me [...] I mean to take it out in bricks, like a trump’.
1852		Argus (Melbourne) 3 Mar. 3/1: On being told she was to be fined, she replied to the Bench with great vivacity, ‘Thank you, sir, and I’ll never pay it. [...] I’ll take it out in bricks and mortar’.
1853		Bell’s Life in Sydney 29 Oct. 3/2: I ain’t got no blunt, so I’ll take it out in bread and water.
1858		Bell’s Life in Sydney 17 July 3/2: He vowed he would rather take it out in bread and water than let Harris get the better of him.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 23 May 11/1: The Reverend Dowie seems to be ‘taking it out’ in gaol. He’s like Peter. He’d sooner part with his liberty than with his loot.
1902		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Dec. 13/1: The court allowed him 24 hours to pay or ‘take it out.’ He paid.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Dec. 11/1: [A] humorless Bench fined him five bob. As the alternative under the Act is confinement in the stocks, and as there are no stocks to confine him in, it is to be hoped McGinniss poured derision on the antiquated law by choosing to ‘take it out.’.

take it slow (orig. US black)

1. goodbye, see you later.

1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 29: ‘You guys take it slow,’ Jake said, pulling off.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 140: ‘Later, turkey. Be good.’ ‘Yeah, baby, take it slow.’.
1972		O. Hawkins Ghetto Sketches 179: I gotta be gittin’ on. I’m late as it is. You take it slow, Milfred.

2. calm down, quieten down, relax.

1957

H. Simmons Corner Boy 48: Yeh, take it slow. You get put out of here, you’ll have to find a new home.

3. be careful.

1944		Cab Calloway New Hepsters Dict. in Calloway (1976) 260: take it slow (v.): be careful.
1957		Laurents & Sondheim West Side Story I vi: Take it slow and, Daddy-o, / You can live it up and die in bed!
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 61: ‘Take it slow, man.’ And Wagner sat up to answer, ‘I take it very slow.’.

take it to the face (v.)

(US campus) to swig alcohol from the bottle or can.

2016

C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2016 10: TAKE IT TO THE FACE — chug alcohol.

take it to someone (v.)

(US prison) to fight, to challenge.

1992

P. Earley Hot House 253: ‘Tom catches what he catches. If he disrespects you, then you take it to him and deal with it’.