
take it easy
Meaning: To relax.
Example: “Take it easy this weekend; you've earned the rest.”
Origin: English in origin despite becoming a fixture of American speech, with the earliest documented appearance in George Payne Rainsford James's 1835 London-published novel The Gipsy: A Tale. "Easy," traced through Old French to a root meaning comfortable or free of discomfort, pairs here with "take" in its sense of adopting or settling into a particular state or approach — to "take" things easy is to deliberately adopt a relaxed, unhurried manner rather than pushing through with unnecessary strain or urgency. The phrase crossed the Atlantic and became a staple of everyday American English by the late 1800s, eventually picking up a secondary use as a casual, friendly way of saying goodbye, wishing someone well as they go.
More English idioms
- talk a blue streak To talk fast and at length.
- talk through one's hat To speak without authority on some topic; to talk nonsense.
- tan someone's hide To spank a child's bottom as punishment.
- through thick and thin In good times and bad times; steadfastly and loyally.
- throw down the gauntlet To challenge someone to fight or argue.
- throw the book at someone To give someone the harshest penalty or punishment allowed by law, or to impose any sever…
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