take a fall—
1. lose one’s balance and drop to the ground:
- When I took a fall and hurt my arm, Michele called me at home to see how I was.
2. (U.S. Underworld) be arrested (also: take a dive):
- Jack had taken a fall on a safe job and was in the Bronx County jail awaiting trial.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase take a drop—
1. (of stocks, temperature, etc.) lose value; decrease:
- There is no guarantee that the account might not be worth less than your original investment if the market has taken a drop.
2. (coll.) have a drink:
- All theatrical people, and even the great Edmund Kean, used to take a drop before commencing performance.
Cf.: take a drop too much —(coll.) be rather drunk:
- If Henry took a drop too much he had always the melancholy satisfaction of knowing that he was driven to it.
take the fall —(coll.) take the blame for another person; become a scapegoat:
- Bob will take the fall for the director—he’d do anything to save his boss.