Take liberties (with somebody) - Old-fashioned?

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An Asian

#436842 Tue, 30 Oct 07 04:22 PM

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.

An Asian

Joined on Thu, Oct 25 2007

New Member (08)

Idioms

Marius Hancu

#436853 Tue, 30 Oct 07 04:44 PM

It's both take liberties/liberTY with ...

Still current (1996):
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'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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Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Grammar Geek

#436855 Tue, 30 Oct 07 04:48 PM

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.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,541)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

khoff

#436891 Tue, 30 Oct 07 06:43 PM

a gentleman taking liberties with a lady

Barb -- someone who takes liberties with a lady is no gentleman! Wink [;)]

khoff

Joined on Sun, Mar 6 2005

Denver, Colorado, USA, Earth

Senior Member (2,566)

Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert)

Grammar Geek

#436921 Tue, 30 Oct 07 07:32 PM

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?

Grammar Geek

An Asian

#437064 Wed, 31 Oct 07 05:17 AM

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.

An Asian

Marius Hancu

#437143 Wed, 31 Oct 07 09:28 AM

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 Club | Arsenal | Walking in a Bergkamp ...

Dennis is a down-to-earth character and doesn't walk around with a huge ego.

But if people take liberties with him - on and off the pitch - he will
come back at you hard.
---------

Marius Hancu

Football

khoff

#437325 Wed, 31 Oct 07 06:34 PM

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, . . .

khoff

An Asian

#437331 Wed, 31 Oct 07 07:00 PM

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 (subscription), TN - 7 hours ago -An Associated Press investigation of teachers who take sexual liberties with students found that too many are moving from state to state without school ...

Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, WA - Oct 26, 2007
Fathers molest daughters, baby sitters abuse their charges, religious leaders take liberties with young worshippers and some teachers are sexual predators. ...

Grand Forks Herald (subscription), ND - Oct 29, 2007
Every state has laws against child abuse, and many specifically outlaw teachers taking sexual liberties with students. Every district has administrators who ...

Winston-Salem Journal, NC - Oct 20, 2007
In June 2000, Bobby O. Curry Sr. was charged with taking indecent liberties with a student and taking indecent liberties with a child. ...

UMKC University News, MO - Oct 29, 2007
Did Father Flynn take inappropriate liberties with a pubescent male? Sister Aloysius, armed with what might be a personal vendetta, is determined to prove ...

Thanks MH.

An Asian

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