Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take one's ball and go home

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.27 in modern English

Syllables: take one's bal-l and -go home
IPA

34

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

3

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To cease participating in an activity that has turned to one's disadvantage, especially out of spite, or in a way that prevents others from participating as well.

Informal

Example Sentences

"In 1977 American auto industry leaders threatened to "take their ball and go home" by shutting down production of 1978 models unless they received yet a third delay in meeting the auto emission standards of the Clean Air Act."
"[F]aced with the choice of raising his bid by a dollar or two a share or making a hostile offer, Mr. Ballmer did neither. Instead, he took his ball and went home."

Etymology

From the image of a group of children playing a sport with a ball that is the exclusive property of one of the participants.

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

takes one's ball and goes home (present, singular) taking one's ball and going home (participle, present) took one's ball and went home (past) taken one's ball and gone home (participle, past) take one's bat and ball and go home (alternative) take one's football and go home (alternative)

Phrases

dog in the manger

Frequently Paired Words

dog in the manger

Questions

What does take one's ball and go home mean?: To cease participating in an activity that has turned to one's disadvantage, especially out of spite, or in a way that prevents others from participating as well.
Where does take one's ball and go home come from?: From the image of a group of children playing a sport with a ball that is the exclusive property of one of the participants.

How to pronounce take one's ball and go home

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