Take It Or Leave It

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 All pass partners giving right hands, turn the next person by the left hand, pass partners giving right hands and turn corners by the left hand
9-10 Taking right hands with partners, all advance to the centre of the set and join left hands with corners
11-12 Releasing partners' right hands while retaining corners' left hands, all retire to the sidelines
13-16 Retaining corners' left hands to begin, all dance a half grand chain to opposite sides. On the last right hand with partners the 1st and 3rd couples turn into promenade hold facing anticlockwise while 2nd and 4th couples return to sidelines
17-20 Dancing behind the 4th and 2nd couples respectively, the 1st and 3rd couples promenade anticlockwise halfway round the set (back to their own original places), then the 1st and 3rd couples continue their anticlockwise promenade, this time dancing in front of the 2nd and 4th couples respectively, so that the 1st and 3rd men pass left shoulders in the centre
21-22 While the 1st and 3rd men turn once with left hands, the 1st and 3rd women dance a loop on opposite sidelines through 3rd and 1st women's places and casting by the right into 3rd and 1st men's places respectively
23-24 Giving right hands, the 1st and 3rd couples turn partners half round so that the women are in the centre facing their partners on opposite sidelines
25-32 Passing partners right shoulders to begin, the 1st and 3rd couples dance a reel of four up and down the dance, ending on opposite sidelines
33-48 Taking promenade hold with partners, all dance a 'cloverleaf' figure anticlockwise around the set taking two bars to dance to the next woman's place, all four men passing left shoulders in the middle, and a further two bars to loop round by the right, from the woman's place to the man's place, on the sidelines
49-52 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 17-20 (anticlockwise promenade)
53-54 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 21-22 (men turn while women loop)
55-56 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 23-24 (partner half turn)
57-64 The 2nd and 4th couples repeat bars 25-32 (reel of four across the set)
65-72 All repeat bars 1-8 (pass and turn)
73-80 All repeat bars 9-16 (back to original places) retaining partners' right hand at the end

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick 2020)

Dance Notes

(Dance notes by the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Take It Or Leave It - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Information

Suggested tune: Blin' Jamie.

Devised August 1976, revised December 1986; first published 1987; republished electronically 2020.

Copyright 1976, 1986, 1987, 2020 Lewis N. Derrick.

(Dance information reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Lewis N Derrick)

For example, if someone says, "I have two movie options for tonight: a comedy or a drama. Take it or leave it", they are expressing a lack of strong preference and are willing to go along with either choice, leaving the decision to the other person.

In this usage, "take it or leave it" suggests a casual or indifferent attitude, indicating that the speaker is not particularly concerned about the outcome and is open to either option. It can also be a way of conveying a laid-back or easygoing demeanor in decision-making, emphasizing that the speaker is flexible and doesn't feel strongly one way or the other.

This phrase is commonly employed in various other contexts, such as negotiations, business transactions, or personal matters where one party is presenting terms and doesn't wish to engage in further bargaining. It's also a straightforward way of expressing that there is no room for negotiation or modification of the presented offer.

Take It Or Leave It, 1917

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