give notice • take notice give notice —1. notify or warn a person with regard to smth.: I had been given notice that the home I’m living in was going up for sale. 2. dismiss smb. from employment: A person who is given notice can easily become demoralized. It takes time to accept the situation…. 3. notify the employer about quit- ting one’s position: His cook-boy, who had worked for him twelve years, gave notice that month. take notice1. perceive smth.; pay attention to smth.: I did not take notice that the horse was almost dead when I took him. 2. take smth. seriously; heed smth.: I just hope people will take notice of the warnings and do not drink and drive. give of one’s best • give someone best give of one’s best—(also: do one’s best) do all one can; do smth. as well as one can: He wasn’t the cleverest member of the com- mittee, but he gave of his best . give someone best—(UK) admit to being wrong; admit defeat: I give you best . I was mistaken about the whole thing. give one’s arm to someone • give one’s hand to someone give one’s arm to someone—(also: offer one’s arm to someone) allow a person to walk arm-in-arm or lean on one’s arm: He turned his back on Alfred, gave his arm to Mrs. Langham and advanced into the hotel. give one’s hand to someone—(of a woman) agree to marry a man: He fails, however, to win Miss Lillerton, who gives her hand to a smooth young curate instead. give one’s life for something • give one’s life to something give one’s life for something—(also: lay down one’s life for some- thing ) allow oneself to die for a good cause, etc.: This mon- ument is to honor soldiers who gave their life for the cause of liberty. give one’s life to something—dedicate one’s whole life to smth.: Socrates gave his life to the study of questions that have seized the minds of thinking people down the ages. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase give life to something—impart interest, energy, or en- thusiasm to smth.: Experienced actors could be contracted to give life to the play so that the work stands the best chance of attracting an audience. give one’s respects to someone • pay one’s respects to someone give one’s respects to someone—send a formal expression of respect for smb. through another person: Give my respects to your Father, whose pamphlet I read with great interest. pay one’s respects to someone—show respect for a person by presenting oneself or by making a call: They were not “ardent royalists,” but had come to pay their respects to a great woman. give one’s word • give the word give one’s word—1. give one’s promise: He gave his word as a scholar not to publish works that were made available to him. 2. express one’s assurance: I’m positive he’s capable of carrying out the mission. I give my word that he is fine. 3. give expression to smth.; put smth. into words: He visited the homes of the sick to give his word of advice or sympathy. give the word—command a person to do smth.: Jack told them to wait till he gave the word , and then to make all the noise they could. give oneself a shot in the arm • shoot oneself in the foot give oneself a shot in the arm—inject oneself with a drug: The next day I got enough courage to do it myself and I gave myself a shot in the arm . The needle did not hurt going in… shoot onself in the foot—act against one’s own interest: You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you use the “can’t afford the time” excuse. In reality, you can’t afford not to. give oneself airs • give someone the air give oneself airs—act conceited or superior: Sally is always giving herself airs . You’d think she had royal blood. give someone the air—(coll.) reject or dismiss a person: I couldn’t change her views … nor could she convert me to hers, even when she threatened to give me the air . Cf.: get the air — be rejected (as a friend or lover): Shirley was afraid she might get the air from her boyfriend if she went out with other boys. See also: take air / take the air. give points to someone • make points with some- one give points to someone—1. offer an advantage to a contender: Does the system give more “points ” to an applicant who has a higher level degree? 2. be considerably better than another person: She could give points to many younger women and beat them. Cf.: give point to something — make smth. more effec- tive: His clever illustrations certainly gave point to his argu- ment. make points with someone—(sl.) gain favor with a person: I believe this is window dressing for our politicians. They are trying to make points with the electorate… give someone a black eye • give someone a black look give someone a black eye—1. bruise or discolor smb.’s eye by a blow: He grew angry and we mixed it. I gave him a black eye . 2. harm a person’s character or reputation: The constant complaining gave the whole group a black eye . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase give someone the evil eye—look fierce or vicious; stare at smb. in a bad way: The Highway Patrolman gave me the evil eye as we both headed out of the parking lot. He didn’t look quite so friendly anymore. give someone a black look—(also: look black at someone) frown or look angrily at a person: Mama gave her a black look and everyone else glanced at her for a moment as if she were quite mad. give someone a break • give someone an even break give someone a break—(coll.) give smb. a chance or special consideration: Roush gave him a break two decades ago when he gave a kid from Batesville a chance to achieve his dreams. Note: a) The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase give me a break1. (sl.) stop trying to fool or bother me: Oh, give me a break . You spent an entire night together and you don’t remember her name? 2. (coll.) give me a chance or an opportunity: I worked on Music Row for two years, and nobody would give me a break , and I could not save up the money to make a record. b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase take a break—have a rest; take time off from an activity: There was that cold January morning when I took a break from wash- ing the dishes. give someone an even break—(coll.) give smb. an equal or fair chance; give a person the same opportunity as other peo- ple: Women have been subject to second class status for cen- turies and it is time to give them an even break . Cf.: never give a sucker an even break—(cliché) one should not allow a fair chance to smb. who may be easily deceived: Doesn’t capitalism teach that one never gives a sucker an even break ? It damn sure does. – 141 – give someone a break