Take someone for a ride

Take someone for a ride is an idiom that dates to the early twentieth century. We will examine the meaning of the common saying take someone for a ride, where it came from, and some examples of its idiomatic usage in sentences.

To take someone for a ride means to deceive, cheat, lie to, or murder someone. The phrase take someone for a ride originated in two different regions to mean two different things. Take someone for a ride meaning to deceive, cheat, or lie to originated in Canada in the 1920s. Take someone for a ride meaning to murder a person originated in the United States in the 1930s as gang slang. Related phrases are takes for a ride, took for a ride, taken for a ride, taking for a ride.

Examples

But is there any point at which BBC Scotland will face up to the fact they have been taken for a very protracted ride, surrendering along the way an editorial duty of care to viewers and listeners? (The Scotsman)

Gullible fisher folks desperate to eke out a living are being taken for a ride by unscrupulous elements by selling them bogus promise to secure registrations from the Fisheries Department either for setting up Chinese nets and stake nets or for the ones already operational. (The Hindu)

But the wheels of justice finally turned last week for Tamboer and three others who were all taken on similar lengthy rides of unfilled promises over deals they struck with Christopher Frolich, 63. (The Independent)