TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does take time by the forelock mean? 

• TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK (verb)
  The verb TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK has 1 sense:

1. act quickly and decisively; not let slip an opportunity

  Familiarity information: TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act quickly and decisively; not let slip an opportunity

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "take time by the forelock" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

Now, sir, it's got to come to blows sooner or later, and what I propose is to take time by the forelock, as the saying is, and come to blows some fine day when they least expect it.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)