take liberties
Meaning: To behave too freely or presumptuously.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The film takes liberties with the history of the war.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: "Liberty" in the sense of an unwarranted freedom. The phrase is recorded from the 17th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Swedish: ta sig friheter — literally: to take oneself freedoms
More idioms — Daily Life
- give someone what for — To scold or punish someone severely.
- like talking to a brick wall — Speaking to someone who does not listen or respond.
- have a thing for someone — To be attracted to someone.
- a vicious circle — A situation where one problem causes another, which makes the first worse.
- a ballpark figure — A rough estimate.
- make someone's life hell — To make someone very unhappy for a long time.
More English idioms
- cool as a cucumber — Very calm, especially under pressure.
- in broad daylight — Openly, during the day, when anyone could see.
- not my circus, not my monkeys — It's not my problem, so I'm staying out of it.
- too many cooks spoil the broth — When too many people work on something, the result is worse.
- birds of a feather flock together — People with similar interests or character tend to spend time together.
- wish the ground would swallow one up — To feel so embarrassed that one wants to disappear.