To “take credit for” something means to purposely receive recognition, praise, or approval for something good, whether or not that recognition or praise is deserved.
Transcript
Take credit for
Today’s expression is to take credit for something. What do you do when you want to take credit for something? You purposely receive recognition, praise, and approval for something good, whether or not that recognition or praise is deserved. When you take credit for something, you want to be seen by others as the cause of something good.
You may or may not deserve that credit, that recognition or approval. But you position yourself to receive it anyway. This is often used when the approval of others is important. We’ll get to Trump in a second, but let’s look at some examples closer to home.
Imagine you’re part of a social club or organization, maybe your church or a neighborhood organization. And as a group, you plan a service project: you clean up a local park, something good and valuable for the community and the project is a success. The park is now nice and clean after the cleanup project. And afterward, someone in your organization says, “Well, we only did this because it was my idea and I organized the whole thing.” That person is taking credit for the success of the project. “That park was so dirty for a long time, I’m just glad I had the idea to clean it up.” That person is positioning himself or herself to receive the approval of the group, to receive thanks, recognition, approval for a good idea. “Boy that park was so dirty and nobody really cared until I started to say we should clean it up.” That’s taking credit for something.
If you’ve worked—pretty much anywhere—you’ve probably experienced this in the workplace. The workplace is full of people taking credit for successes. “It’s great news we got that new customer! I’m so glad I contacted them at the very beginning and told them how we could help them.” That’s taking credit for a new customer. “We have ten new customers because of my initiative to start advertising on Facebook.” That’s also taking credit for something.
“We’re saving a lot of money because of my decision to eliminate an unproductive team.” That’s taking credit for cost savings. You’re saying and doing things to make others think you are the reason for a success.
Now listen, this is not always unjustified. Good things often result from the actions of a single person and it is sometimes a good idea to take credit for something good that you’ve done. Because, guess what? If you don’t take credit for what you do, someone else might. I’ve had bosses in the past tell me that there’s nobody at my company secretly watching what everyone is doing, keeping score. If you want to get credit for something good, you need to proactively take credit for it. It’s not something I’m always comfortable doing, but it is sometimes necessary. The trick is to take credit for something in a tactful way, in a way that doesn’t put anyone else down.
The way you heard it in the main lesson today is that Trump has not been shy about taking credit for the economy’s success in his first presidential term. He hasn’t been shy—he hasn’t hesitated to take credit. He did sponsor a tax reform bill, he signed a new trade agreement, and has reduced business regulations. Based on that, Trump took credit for a strong economy. And look, any politician will always try to take credit for good things that happen while they are in office. This is nothing new. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether you give a person credit or not.
Quote of the Week
Today’s quote of the week is from the journalist Salena Zito. This was her insight when Trump was running for president in 2016. She said, “The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.”
When she says that Trump’s supporters don’t take him literally, she means they don’t believe a lot of what he says—they believe the sentiment or the emotion, but they don’t believe that every word is exactly and factually true. People don’t look to Trump for factually accurate information, according to this quote. Meanwhile, the press gets distracted by the specific claims, the specific words. The more outrageous or untrue the statement, the more energy the press spends refuting it and arguing back against it—and it’s Trump’s way of making sure that he is always the top news item every day.
“The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.” That was the insight of journalist Salena Zito four years ago and it goes a long way to explain why opinions on Trump are so divided. When he talks, different people are hearing different things.
See you next time!
And that is all for today. Congratulations on reaching the end of another Plain English lesson. I mentioned last Monday, when we talked about Joe Biden, that I usually don’t want to talk about American politics here. I just assume you guys get enough of that in your own local media. But you are learning English, so it’s good to know about the English-speaking world. So there you go.
Remember our Facebook group at PlainEnglish.com/Facebook. That’s a great way for us to stay in touch and to connect with fellow Plain English listeners.
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .
How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
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你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Audio
The fast version of this expression is available for subscribers of Plain English Plus+.