"take down"

[Olympian]

Hello,

1. What is the meaning of "take down" in the following sentence?

"

This isn’t a very original observation, but in English we don’t have many grammatical markers for degrees of formality and intimacy, or for other aspects of social position (such as gender). So it’s completely enchanting to discover a language where there are (for example) many different forms of the first person pronoun. What do we have? Well, ‘y’all’ or ‘you all,’ a second person plural, would be perceived as informal, colloquial, Southern. Writing ‘u’ for ‘you’ would be perceived as informal, mainly used by the young . . . We don’t have honorifics. We have a much more limited range of moods and tenses. For example – I take down a Japanese grammar and it has a chapter for “The Form of an Auxiliary which Suggests a Rumor.”"

2. Does the author mean 'I take down a Japanese grammar book'? - Perhaps from a shelf? I have noticed that some words are dropped in English. For example, 'I go to Lincoln High' The word 'school' is dropped. Under what circumstances can words be dropped like this? One guess is that when the words/phrases are common and it would be understood by the listener.

3. Can it ('take down') be called an 'idiom'? I was wondering this simply because I had to choose a 'prefix' before the title of this posting.

Thank you

[Gillnetter]

Hello,

1. What is the meaning of "take down" in the following sentence?

"

This isn’t a very original observation, but in English we don’t have many grammatical markers for degrees of formality and intimacy, or for other aspects of social position (such as gender). So it’s completely enchanting to discover a language where there are (for example) many different forms of the first person pronoun. What do we have? Well, ‘y’all’ or ‘you all,’ a second person plural, would be perceived as informal, colloquial, Southern. Writing ‘u’ for ‘you’ would be perceived as informal, mainly used by the young . . . We don’t have honorifics. We have a much more limited range of moods and tenses. For example – I take down a Japanese grammar and it has a chapter for “The Form of an Auxiliary which Suggests a Rumor.”"

2. Does the author mean 'I take down a Japanese grammar book'? - Perhaps from a shelf? I have noticed that some words are dropped in English. For example, 'I go to Lincoln High' The word 'school' is dropped. Under what circumstances can words be dropped like this? One guess is that when the words/phrases are common and it would be understood by the listener. I believe that you are correct. This is an example of poor writing. "Take down" could also mean to write something. Not finishing the sentence so that the meaning is clear is inexcusable.

3. Can it ('take down') be called an 'idiom'? (No) I was wondering this simply because I had to choose a 'prefix' before the title of this posting.

Thank you

Gil

[5jj]

Olympian: Does the author mean 'I take down a Japanese grammar book'? - Perhaps from a shelf?
5jj: Yes

Olympian: I have noticed that some words are dropped in English. For example, 'I go to Lincoln High' The word 'school' is dropped. Under what circumstances can words be dropped like this? One guess is that when the words/phrases are common and it would be understood by the listener.
5jj: That's a reasonable guess, but context is important. For example, "In 1998, I started work at the London School in Prague". We cannot omit 'School' in that sentence, but we can in this dialogue:

A: I worked for (the) Caledonian (School) when I taught in Prague. How about you?
B: I started at (the) London (School) and then moved across to (the) Berlitz (School). I ended up at Charles (University).

A can drop 'the - School", because A and B are talking in the context of working at language schools. Similarly B knows that A has worked in Prague and must therefore know that 'Charles' is the university.

Olympian: Can it ('take down') be called an 'idiom'?
5jj: No, it's a simple verb + adverb/particle.

[Olympian]

@Gilnetter, thank you.

[Olympian]

Olympian: Does the author mean 'I take down a Japanese grammar book'? - Perhaps from a shelf?
5jj: Yes

Olympian: I have noticed that some words are dropped in English. For example, 'I go to Lincoln High' The word 'school' is dropped. Under what circumstances can words be dropped like this? One guess is that when the words/phrases are common and it would be understood by the listener.
5jj: That's a reasonable guess, but context is important. For example, "In 1998, I started work at the London School in Prague". We cannot omit 'School' in that sentence, but we can in this dialogue:

A: I worked for (the) Caledonian (School) when I taught in Prague. How about you?
B: I started at (the) London (School) and then moved across to (the) Berlitz (School). I ended up at Charles (University).

A can drop 'the - School", because A and B are talking in the context of working at language schools. Similarly B knows that A has worked in Prague and must therefore know that 'Charles' is the university.

Olympian: Can it ('take down') be called an 'idiom'?
5jj: No, it's a simple verb + adverb/particle.

@fivejedjon, thank you. I understand context is important. Actually, in the sentence "I take down a Japanese grammar and it has a chapter for “The Form of an Auxiliary which Suggests a Rumor.", I guessed that it is a book because of "it has a chapter". As a non-native speaker of English, I would have expected "I came across a book on/of Japanese grammar which had a chapter on* /for ..." or "I read a book on ...., butnot 'take down'

Other than the meaning that Gilnetter has provided (to write something), I am familiar with another meaning to bring someone to the ground from a standing position - as in wrestling or judo or jujitsu, but it does not apply here.

[Tdol]

This is an example of poor writing.

How about I open a Japanese grammar instead?