take it upon oneself to do something

take it upon oneself to do something
make it one's business to do something & take it upon oneself to do something
Fig. to do something on one's own even if it means interfering in something that does not directly concern one. (As opposed to minding one's own business.) •

I know it doesn't concern me, but I made it my business to call city hall because someone had to.

Jane took it upon herself to find out exactly what had happened to the old lady.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • take — [tāk] vt. took, taken, taking [ME taken < OE tacan < ON taka < ? IE base * dēg , to lay hold of] I to get possession of by force or skill; seize, grasp, catch, capture, win, etc. 1. to get by conquering; capture; seize 2. to trap, snare …   English World dictionary

  • take — takable, takeable, adj. taker, n. /tayk/, v., took, taken, taking, n. v.t. 1. to get into one s hold or possession by voluntary action: to take a cigarette out of a box; to take a pen and begin to write. 2. to hold, grasp, or grip: to take a book …   Universalium

  • take — [c]/teɪk / (say tayk) verb (took, taken, taking) –verb (t) 1. to get into one s hands or possession by force or artifice. 2. to seize, catch, or capture. 3. to grasp, grip or hold. 4. to get into one s hold, possession, control, etc., by one s… …  

  • take — I. verb (took; taken; taking) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tacan, from Old Norse taka; akin to Middle Dutch taken to take Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to get into one s hands or into one s possession, power, or… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • take — [[t]teɪk[/t]] v. took, tak•en, tak•ing, n. 1) to get into one s hands or possession by voluntary action: Take the book, please[/ex] 2) to hold, grasp, or grip: to take a child by the hand[/ex] 3) to get into one s possession or control by force… …   From formal English to slang

  • take advantage of — phrasal 1. : to make use of for one s own benefit : use to advantage : profit by extends his examination … to take advantage of modern methods of diagnosis Morris Fishbein feels we are not taking proper advantage of our opportunity R.A.Smith 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • take on — I (Roget s IV) v. 1. [To hire] Syn. employ, engage, give work to; see hire 1 . 2. [To acquire an appearance] Syn. emerge, develop, turn; see become 1 , seem . 3. [To undertake] Syn. attempt, handle, endeavor; see try 1 , undertake . 4. [*To meet… …   English dictionary for students

  • take — 1 Take, seize, grasp, clutch, snatch, grab are comparable when they mean to get hold of by or as if by reaching out the arm or hand. Take is not only the most general but also the only colorless term in this group. In ordinary use, especially… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • take — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. catch, capture (see acquisition); plagiarize, pirate (see stealing); take by storm; snap or pick up; do; work, be effective; snap a picture. n. taking; informal, receipts, haul, gate (sl.), swag (sl.) …   English dictionary for students

  • Take Care — For song by Funker Vogt, see Take Care (Funker Vogt song). Take Care …   Wikipedia

  • try — 1. verb 1) try to help him Syn: attempt, endeavor, venture, make an effort, exert oneself, strive, do one s best, do one s utmost, move heaven and earth; undertake, aim, take it upon oneself; informal have a go, give it one s best shot, bend over …   Thesaurus of popular words

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