Take it or leave it means that an offer is final: accept it as it is or refuse it, because there will be no more bargaining. People say it when they make their last offer. In a second meaning, I can take it or leave it means I don't really care about something either way. In the first meaning the phrase is informal and sounds harsh, so people avoid it in polite negotiations.
When would you say take it or leave it?
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offer + , take it or leave it; a take-it-or-leave-it offer; can take it or leave it (= not care much)
- The company refused to negotiate the salary, so it was a take-it-or-leave-it offer.
- Some people love football, but I can take it or leave it.
What changed
First versionThis is my final price for the sofa: take it or don't take it.
RevisionThis is my final price for the sofa: take it or leave it.
Take it or don't take it may seem logical, but the English phrase has a different second half: leave it, meaning you either take the offer or leave it where it is. The only change is don't take it to leave it.
Take it or leave it still gives a choice, even a hard one: accept the terms or walk away. Like it or not gives no choice at all: Like it or not, the rent goes up in May. So a seller says take it or leave it, but about something unavoidable, such as new rules, people say like it or not.
Your turn
The landlord refused to discuss the rent at all: 'Nine hundred a month and not a penny less, ___.'
Show the answer
take it or leave it — The landlord refuses to discuss the price and sets a condition: pay this much or don't rent the flat. That is take it or leave it. Take your time means don't hurry and says nothing about refusing to negotiate.
Describe a time when someone made you a final offer with no room for bargaining: a seller, an employer or a landlord. Say what they offered you and at what price, and how it ended.
The car dealer offered us the car for fifteen thousand pounds and said, 'Take it or leave it,' so we decided to look elsewhere.
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