take time by the forelock

Definitions

To seize an opportunity quickly before it is no longer available.

idiomatic, imperative, often

Examples

“Tell⟳ her the ioyous time wil not be staid, / Unlesse she doe him by the forelock take⟳;”

“[…] I knew a Parson's Wife that seldom went to Church, but took Time by the Forelock, and while the Husband (good Man) was taking Care of his Flock, the good Woman at Home was at her Occupation with her Gallant, a rich young Farmer.”

“Miss⟳ Walters, dreading the Christmas rush⟳ on the railway, had determined to take⟳ time by the forelock, and meant to pack⟳ off her pupils by the first available trains, trusting they would most of them reach⟳ their destinations before the overcrowding became a serious problem in the traffic.”

CEFR level