Is there a difference between the following two sentences?
- I'll take you to a good restaurant in Paris
- I'll take you out to a good restaurant in Paris
Does "to take out" implicitly mean that I am going to pay the bill and "to take" not?
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1To "take someone out" to a restaurant does imply treating them. The implication is stronger than merely "taking" them, but neither absolutely indicates that you will be footing the bill. You'll want to be explicit, e.g., "I'll take you [out] to a good restaurant in Paris—my treat" or "We can go to a good restaurant in Paris that I know."– RobustoCommented Jun 23, 2019 at 1:10
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1Imagine that the speaker is the driver of a taxi you just hailed. The little three-letter word is the difference between helpful and creepy.– LawrenceCommented Jun 23, 2019 at 5:48
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@Lawrence Yes, there's a definite pragmatic content. The 'out' may/may not make much difference to the intended / perceived meaning, but there is a familiarisation overtone when 'out' is included. "The poor old dear hardly ever gets out."– Edwin AshworthCommented Jun 23, 2019 at 16:56
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1@AlanEvangelista The actual idiom take to the cleaners, which has a specific meaning beyond its individual words, means "to deprive of money or possessions : clean out." (You can search for the expression here). If you were to make it take out to, the addition of that word would make the idiom (which is a set phrase) lose its meaning, giving it a more literal interpretation based on the individual words. It's an example that only applies because of the specific word cleaners.– Jason BassfordCommented Jun 24, 2019 at 5:04
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1@AlanEvangelista As for using take me out to a restaurant with a taxi driver, the use of take me out implies a date of some kind, either romantic or between family or friends. It would be highly unusual to say take me out to a good restaurant to a complete stranger, in this case a taxi driver. It would be creepy for the taxi driver to hear such an expression, which is normally reserved for a different social context.– Jason BassfordCommented Jun 24, 2019 at 5:10
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1 Answer
To take someone out to a restaurant is to go there to eat with them and likely pick up the check. To take them to the same place may be only to take them to that location. Perhaps to see what they are serving, drop them off there or other geographic concerns.
Another idiom is to take someone out without specifying a destination meaning to murder them.
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@Jason Bassford mentioned in one one of the comments of my question that "to take sb out to somewhere" also implies a date of some kind, either romantic or between family or friends. If you agree, it'd be nice to add that to your answer. Commented Jun 25, 2019 at 18:43