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Take holt

Posted by ESC on November 11, 2004

In Reply to: Take hold (meaning and usage pls. thx!) posted by Lexi on November 11, 2004

: : : take hold (meaning and usage pls. thx!)

: : From M-W Online:

: : - take hold 1 : GRASP, GRIP, SEIZE 2 : to become attached or established : take effect

: : In the general sense, it means to take control of something. It is used in the phrase "take hold of one's senses", which means to recover from an excitable state, calm down and regain control of oneself.

: It's also a demand to grab something, like......."take hold of that 220 volt wire there in the puddle, my dear"!

Take holt (or "take a holt") -- "to work hard and efficiently." From Southern Mountain Speech by Cratis D. Williams (Berea College Press, Ky., 1992).

John lazed around his first year in college. Then he took holt and started making A's.

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