"Taking a decision"

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American parlance is to "make" a decision, Brit is to "take" one.

One sounds communal, but probably isn't. The other sounds high-handed. When Tony Blair says he is taking a decision, he sounds scared, like he's about to be caught stealing candy. Or he just sounds snotty.

Do you think politicians and others (especially middle managers trying to sound a little more haute bourgie) should only attach the word 'take' to 'responsibility' or am I on my own here?

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 6 March 2006 07:59 (nineteen years ago)

I think Tony Blair (and lots of managers) has a fairly wide vocabulary in this area: for example, "reached a decision" (subtext: I've thought long and hard,this is difficult but I'm right), "arrived at a decision" (subtext: the right decision is out there and I've just taken it as any sensible person would do).

He sounds pretty decisive to me, except when he mentions God.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Monday, 6 March 2006 08:39 (nineteen years ago)

I'm kind of more interested in the subtext on take/make here. It's acceptable to take decisions on behalf of subjects, perhaps, but citizens require that decisions are *made*.

Blair saying God will judge him in the end does not sit well with the 14 per cent of Britons that don't believe in God at all. God don't vote, motherfucker.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 6 March 2006 08:47 (nineteen years ago)

Or indeed the majority of Britains who think god is only for Weddings and Funerals and doesn't do any judging; they also believe that heaven is all beer, cricket and comely wenches.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 6 March 2006 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

Comely wenches match number oneon Google Images:

http://www.ravensmoon.com/images/comelywenches.jpg

I hope there are enough brown paper bags in Heaven for two per customer.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 6 March 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://m.j.freeman.home.att.net/trentonmakes.jpg

― Shelly Winters Death Clip (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 6 March 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

Thank you JBR!

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:04 (nineteen years ago)

For a minute there I misread Ed's post as "beer, cricket and comedy wenches," e.g. Suzanne Danielle in Carry On Emmanuelle.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:13 (nineteen years ago)

Let us also not forget the large proportion of Britons who believe in God just long enough to get their kid into a 'good' catholic/CoE school.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:41 (nineteen years ago)

they also believe that heaven is all beer, cricket and comely wenches.

Sign me up!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:43 (nineteen years ago)

Church of England - Religion Lite

― Ed (dali), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:44 (nineteen years ago)

As a way of determining whether Ricky T still reads ILX, that's probably quite efficient.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:49 (nineteen years ago)

Ed, I am on the way to the interview in 30 and while RECORD and PAUSE work OK on the MD player, I'm flummoxed by making > and STOP, NO REALLY work at ALL.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:59 (nineteen years ago)

I love that Trenton sign!

Hearing someone say "take a decision" always seems to me like, well, who did you take it from? Trenton? etc. It sounds less responsible to me than "make" or at least that's my take (make!) on the subtext.

― sgs (sgs), Monday, 6 March 2006 10:59 (nineteen years ago)

I make decisions all the time. Not sure if this is as clean cut as suggested.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 6 March 2006 11:09 (nineteen years ago)

me to!

but it's interesting anyway.

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Monday, 6 March 2006 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever taken a decision

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 6 March 2006 11:59 (nineteen years ago)

Re: the Church of England:

What does the Anglican Communion in the US make of things when the Archbishop of Canterbury has a go at Guantanamo? I imagine they're on the left as Christians go in the US (witness the ordination of Gene Robinson).

― Mike W (caek), Monday, 6 March 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

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