take the floor

Idioms  

1. Rise to speak formally to an assembled group, as in After that long introduction, the treasurer took the floor. This idiom uses floor in the sense of “right to speak,” in turn derived from its meaning as the part of the legislature from which members address the group. [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

But if robots can now fold laundry, serve food, sweep the floor, operate computers, talk, walk and dance, it’s plausible that soon they will help our elders out of bed and give them sponge baths.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Initially, he says, Cobain just wanted him to sweep the floor between songs, but soon found his dancing "added another bit of a groove on stage".

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2022

That Wooden once had to sweep the floor in the musty campus gym known as the “B.O. Barn” makes his sustained success all the more impressive.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2021

I empty the trash and sweep the floor, getting rid of the bad luck, which 2020 provided in terrible abundance.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2021

“Anything you tell me. There be some sports are painful—you know. But their labour delight in them sets off. That’s what I feel. I mean I’d sweep the floor if you wanted.”

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• call
• discuss
• talk