"Bring" versus "Take"

[Xprimentyl]

Perhaps there?s some regionality involved (e.g.: Northern vs Southern speech,) but I?d like some input on this matter: when you are somewhere and expect to get something from that place to another, do you bring it or take it? I (Native Ohioan) am of the idea that you don?t BRING something somewhere else, you TAKE it. My girlfriend (native Oklahoman) told me last week while we were on our patio at home that she was going to ?bring chili for a cook-off at work,? and I thought I was being a smartass when I asked her to ?take some back home afterwards,? and all she said was ?Ok.?

Escapists, am I insane?? You BRING towards and TAKE away, right?!?

 

[DefunctTheory]

You bring in and take out.

As for you and your GF, you're both right. Look at it like a water pipe - If your at the intake part, you're bringing; if you're at the outtake part, you're taking; and if you're looking at the middle of the pipe from a distance, it doesn't particularly matter.

 

[Xprimentyl]

There?re arguments for both sides, I really just want to know what people find most intuitive. For my girlfriend, she had no idea what I was talking about when I was making my case; might as well have been speaking Japanese; she says she?s ?bringing? shit all the time and it makes my ears cramp up! I asked her when, then, would she use ?take,? and her response turned my attempt at smartassery right on its head when she said she uses ?take? for other people, like ?take your coat? or like I said to her, ?take some [chili] back home.? Her other coherent argument was that [the object] is with her, so she?s ?bringing? it. Ugh, I hate when she makes sense, but it still just sounds wrong!!

 

[DefunctTheory]

There?re arguments for both sides, I really just want to know what people find most intuitive. For my girlfriend, she had no idea what I was talking about when I was making my case; might as well have been speaking Japanese; she says she?s ?bringing? shit all the time and it makes my ears cramp up! I asked her when, then, would she use ?take,? and her response turned my attempt at smartassery right on its head when she said she uses ?take? for other people, like ?take your coat? or like I said to her, ?take some [chili] back home.? Her other coherent argument was that [the object] is with her, so she?s ?bringing? it. Ugh, I hate when she makes sense, but it still just sounds wrong!!

Ok, now I'm with your girlfriend - I have no idea what you're babbling on about.

 

[Baffle]

So... what room does she go in to bring a dump?

 

[Xprimentyl]

Ok, now I'm with your girlfriend - I have no idea what you're babbling on about.

I know, right? I hate English sometimes? I guess it?s relative; to me staying home, she?s taking chili away, but in reference to herself and the chili being with her, she?s bringing chili. Ugh, goddamnit, she?s right. I don?t know how to live with this; it still just sounds wrong!!

 

[Xprimentyl]

So... what room does she go in to bring a dump?

Lol, I thought about taking it that direction when her arguments started making sense, but that kind of nonsensical logic would?ve been proof positive she had me cornered, and she is NOT a gracious argument winner; she?s vicious when she?s right. That?s pretty much why I came to the Escapist; I was hoping someone?d have some ammo for me to TAKE back (I refuse to change,) but alas, I find the roots of her conviction do indeed run deep and true?

 

[EvilRoy]

Uh they both work, they just have different connotations in different situations. Bring implies share, take implies ownership in the contexts you used. She would show up with chili for everyone then reclaim ownership of a portion to put in her pile of hard won potluck victories.

Other people do this, I'm sure of it.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Uh they both work, they just have different connotations in different situations. Bring implies share, take implies ownership in the contexts you used. She would show up with chili for everyone then reclaim ownership of a portion to put in her pile of hard won potluck victories.

Other people do this, I'm sure of it.

My girlfriend?s not the first or only time I?ve heard this; it?s bugged me for years, but I usually hear it in passing, so I cringe and let it go; hers was just the first cogent argument against my belief I?d heard, and it?s hard to have my fundamental convictions brought into question. I need validation! I can accept that both are correct, but I need to know that 99.9999999% of the time, my way is correcter!! XD

 

[Baffle]

I would use it in relation to where I was at the time I said it. If I was moving from A to B and transferring an item I would be taking it; if I was moving to B from A I would be bringing it. When I take something I am at the departure point; when I bring something I am at the arrival point.

Edit: If I am at point A and a friend is coming from point B, they must bring a beer with them. If I'm going to meet my friend at point B, I'll bring to B a few beers that I have taken from A.

Edit 2: My friend cannot take me a beer.

 

[Saelune]

...Im with your GF on this. You bring something to a place, and then take things back. So she would bring food to a place, and take some back home with her.

 

[iwinatlife]

Again both work depending on context and I Use both. I take something somewhere and take home food. I can also Bring a gift to a party or bring a meal home for my girlfriend.

 

[lacktheknack]

I've always understood it as "bring" ---> arriving, and "take" ---> leaving.

It seems right that, if you're going to be AT the cook-off, she'd BRING the chili to the cook-off, but would TAKE some home, because she arrives where you are, and then leaves later. Meanwhile, if you're at home, you'd say she's TAKING chili to the cook-off at work, and you hope she'll BRING some home. Because she leaves where you are, then arrives later.

 

[shrekfan246]

For the record, they're both technically correct in a general context. "Bring" is the one I'd say I've more commonly heard being from Vermont.

Edit: If I am at point A and a friend is coming from point B, they must bring a beer with them. If I'm going to meet my friend at point B, I'll bring to B a few beers that I have taken from A.

Edit 2: My friend cannot take me a beer.

But they can take a beer to you. ;D

Though this does highlight a peculiarity with dialogue, I think, in that if you were asking you would likely say "bring me a beer", while if it was a third party they could say "bring them a beer" or "take them a beer" or "take a beer to that table" or "bring a beer to that table".

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, it seems to me you bring something when you go somewhere, and take it when you leave...but if the intention is understood, I don't see any problem.

 

[Baffle]

Though this does highlight a peculiarity with dialogue, I think, in that if you were asking you would likely say "bring me a beer", while if it was a third party they could say "bring them a beer" or "take them a beer" or "take a beer to that table" or "bring a beer to that table".

It's a strange one - I think the third party could only say 'bring them a beer' if the person having the beer brought to them was also part of the conversation (that is, the statement also includes them and notifies them of a beer's likely arrival). If A (doesn't have a beer) was sitting on their own in the corner and B and C were chatting in a different corner, B might see A being all morose and say to C 'Take him a beer, will you?', whereas 'Bring him a beer, will you?' sounds very wrong to me.

OTOH, if B, seeing A is a bit lonely, goes over and is chatting to A, then shouts across to C 'Bring a beer for my buddy over here!' that's be fine, whereas 'Take a beer to my buddy over here!' sounds super odd.

Of course, C, objecting to all these instructions, might suggest B bring the beer and shove it up his high and mighty bottom.

 

[09philj]

If I'm talking to a person who is at, or will be at the location, I am going to, I'm bringing the object. If it's somebody who will not be at the location, I'm taking the object.

 

[happyninja42]

There?re arguments for both sides, I really just want to know what people find most intuitive.

If I'm going to a place, and there is an object going with me, I am bringing it with me. I probably even use bring going the other way, "bringing leftovers with us" for example, though I'm sure I've used take as well. If I'm telling someone else, a guest for example, I tell them to 'take some leftovers', but again, "bring these home with you" gets used to. I'm sure I've heard my mom say that from time to time.

Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, they are interchangeable, but I usually default to bring in either direction.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I agree with most people in this thread that "bring" is the proper term here and is what I would have said. I'm bringing wings to the party and taking some leftovers home with me.

However I have used take when leaving as well, but in a different context. Like, "oh, I'll take my hat with me in case it gets really sunny." You could just as easily say "I'm bringing my hat in case it gets sunny" but I think in this case I'd use take because I am not sharing it with anyone or giving it away. It is for me so I am taking it with me. I guess that's just a little insight into how my brain works. I'm from central New Jersey by the way.

Also, reading this thread is doing that thing to me where words start sounding funny. After reading "bring" so many times it's starting to sound really weird.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Using your own example ("Escapists, am I insane?? You BRING towards and TAKE away, right?!?"), Towards means "in the direction of".

So, let's surplant the definition.

"You BRING in the direction of." Seems fine. Let's look at the sentence again. "I'll bring chili for a cook-off at work". 'At' is the directional/positional word of the sentence. It's the one that is closest to 'Towards'. As it is saying that she will bring the chili to work, or in the direction/location/area of work.

Same thing with Take. Take simply means to 'gather into your possession'. "Take some back home afterwards" is simply asking to gather some chili to have later on.

Sorry, I also don't see what's wrong with her usage of the word. For the record, I'm a New Yorker.