брать свое

• БРАТЬ/ВЗЯТЬ СВОЕ

[VP]

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1. [subj: human; usu. pfv]

⇒ to achieve one's desired, established aim (when in conflict with another person or when struggling against adverse circumstances):

- X возьмёт своё{{}}≈ X will succeed (prevail, win out);

- X will get (have) his way;

- [in limited contexts] X's turn (day, moment) will come;

- X will get back at person Y;

- X will take his revenge.

     ♦ "Дождались станишники [phonetic spelling = станичники] своего часа. И уж они, будьте покойны, они своё возьмут" (Максимов 3). "This is just what the Cossacks have been waiting for. They'll take their revenge, don't you worry" (3a).

2. [subj: a noun denoting a season, natural phenomenon etc]

⇒ to manifest itself fully:

- X возьмёт своё{{}}≈ X will come into its own.

     ♦ ...Весна брала своё. Все кругом золотисто зеленело... (Тургенев 2). ...Spring was coming into its own. All around him was the gold and verdure of spring... (2a).

3. [subj: abstr]

⇒ to render its typical effect, dominate, usu. in an evident manner:

- X брал свое{{}}≈ X was making itself felt;

- X was having its way;

- X was claiming its own;

- X was prevailing;

- [usu. of old age, illness etc] X was taking its toll;

- X was telling (on person Y);

- X was catching up (with person Y);

- [of age only] person Y was feeling his age;

- [of disease only] X was overpowering person Y.

     ♦ Так жила тетя Маша со своими богатырскими дочерями - бедно, вольно, неряшливо. Дети и сама она питались чем попало, но могучая природа брала своё, и все они выглядели румяными, сильными, довольными (Искандер 3). Thus Aunt Masha lived with her herculean daughters-poor, free, and slovenly. The children, and she herself, lived from hand to mouth, but mighty nature had its way and all of them looked rosy, strong, and content (3a).

     ♦ "...Слышу, патер в дырочку [исповедальни] ей [девушке] назначает вечером свидание, а ведь старик - кремень, и вот пал в одно мгновение! Природа-то, правда-то природы взяла своё!" (Достоевский 2). "...I heard the priest arranging a rendezvous with her [the girl] for that evening through the hole [of the confessional booth]; the old man was solid as a rock, but he fell in an instant! It was nature, the truth of nature, claiming its own!" (2a).

     ♦ ...Молодость брала своё: горе Наташи начало покрываться слоем впечатлений прожитой жизни, оно перестало такою мучительною болью лежать ей на сердце, начинало становиться прошедшим, и Наташа стала физически оправляться (Толстой 6). ...Youth prevailed: Natasha's grief began to be submerged under the impressions of daily life and ceased to weigh so heavily on her heart; it gradually faded into the past, and she began to recover physically (6a).

     ♦ Он был уже так слаб от двенадцати [уколов], уже [врачи] качали головами над его анализами крови, - а надо было выдержать ещё столько же? Не мытьём, так катаньем болезнь брала своё (Солженицын 10). He was so weak from the twelve [injections] he had had-already they [the doctors] were shaking their heads over his blood count-might he really have to endure the same number again? By hook or by crook the disease was overpowering him (10a).