take a bow

Idioms & Phrases

take a bow

Acknowledge praise or applause, as in The conductor asked the composer to take a bow. This idiom uses bow in the sense of "inclining the body or head as a token of salutation." [c. 1800]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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