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Glite Dictionary
to take time by the forelock

to take time by the forelock

9.9
Act quickly to grab an opportunity before it is lost
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : aprovechar la oportunidad
  • You should take time by the forelock and apply for that job!

Examples

  • If you want to succeed, you must take time by the forelock whenever an opportunity arises.

  • Instead of hesitating, they wisely took time by the forelock and launched the project before anyone else.

  • She knew this was her chance, so she took time by the forelock and applied immediately.

  • If you want to succeed, take time by the forelock and make your move now.

  • To succeed in business, you must take time by the forelock and seize new opportunities as they arise.

  • The team decided to take time by the forelock and launch the marketing campaign early to attract more customers.

  • If she wants to excel in her career, she needs to take time by the forelock and start networking with industry professionals.

Synonyms

to seize the opportunity
vsto take time by the forelock
10 3.9

Act quickly to use a good chance

focuses on acting promptly to secure a chance before it is lost
to strike while the iron is hot
vsto take time by the forelock
  • Informal
3 4.7

Do something quickly to use a good chance before it ends

focuses on acting before conditions change rather than only being fast
to snatch the opportunity
vsto take time by the forelock
3.9

To take a chance quickly before other people do

stresses promptness and timing more than eagerness when acting

Antonyms

to miss an opportunity
14 2.8

Fail to use a chance to do something you want

How Fast

to take time by the forelock
  • Archaic
9.9
to act
∞ 1.0
to hesitate
318 2.5
to delay
562 1.4

Surface Forms

take time by the forelock infinitive
taking time by the forelock present participle
takes time by the forelock third person singular
took time by the forelock past
taken time by the forelock past participle

Morphology

take + time + by + the + forelock

Although 'take' and 'time' could suggest seizing a moment, the image of grabbing the 'forelock' is a culturally specific, historical metaphor that is not transparent to learners. The overall sense 'act quickly and seize an opportunity' cannot be reliably derived from the literal meanings of the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely not infer the idiomatic meaning.

Etymology

Take time by the forelock may come from imagining time as a person with a small front lock of hair, the forelock. If you grabbed that forelock, you could hold time before it ran away, so the phrase means 'act quickly and seize an opportunity'.