take liberties
take liberties
1. To act disrespectfully or inappropriately. You're too friendly with your subordinates—that's why they take liberties with you. If he tries to take liberties with you, leave immediately.
2. To alter something (especially by making it inaccurate or untrue) in order to benefit from it or accommodate one's own needs or interests. I didn't slander you—the paper took liberties with what I said.
See also: liberty, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
take liberties
1. Behave improperly or disrespectfully; also, make unwanted sexual advances. For example, He doesn't allow staff members to take liberties, such as calling clients by their first names , or She decided that if Jack tried to take liberties with her she would go straight home. This idiom uses liberties in the sense of "an overstepping of propriety," and thus differs markedly from take the liberty of. [c. 1700]
2. Make a statement or take an action not warranted by the facts or circumstances, as in Their book takes liberties with the historical record.
See also: liberty, take
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
take liberties
1 behave in an unduly familiar manner towards a person. 2 treat something freely, without strict faithfulness to the facts or to an original.See also: liberty, take
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
take ˈliberties (with somebody/something)
be more free with somebody/something than you should be: The translator has taken too many liberties with this. The original meaning is lost. He uses our phone without asking, which I think is taking liberties.See also: liberty, take
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- take liberties with
- take liberties with (someone or something)
- act up
- do badly by (someone)
- take one's name in vain, to
- act out
- fresh
- treat (one) like dirt
- treat somebody like dirt
- treat someone like dirt