tv. to take a five-minute break. : She told them to take five, but they turned the five into fifty.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
take five
Relax, take some time off from what one is doing, as in We've been at it long enough; let's take five. This term is short for "take five minutes off." [Slang; first half of 1900s] For a synonym, see take a break.
