> as lemmas

1570 T. North tr. A. F. Doni Morall Philos. iv. f. 96^v To driue out the suspition the Kinge hath taken in his heade [It. ha preso], that he thinketh there hath bene some trechery vsed towards him.

1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 iii. xii. 256 My Lord abandoning the purpose to purchase an Empire, would take in his head that of becomming a Cardinall.

1687 Bp. G. Burnet tr. Lactantius Relation Death Primitive Persecutors 69 Madly expenceful was he in the design that he took into his head of making Nicomedia equal to Rome it self.

1709 D. Manley Secret Mem. 74 From thence (flatter'd by Love) [she] took it into her Head, that it would not be long before she should be the Dutchess of ——.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 47. ¶7 When every Body takes it in his Head to make as many Fools as he can.

1748 M. Towgood Dissenting Gentleman's Third Lett. i. 10 One good Bishop..taking it into his Head that there ought to be a Trine-Immersion in Baptism.

1837 B. Disraeli Venetia I. 106 I took it into my head to walk up and down the gallery.

1876 E. Jenkins Blot on Queen's Head 17 Little Ben had taken it into his head..that the sign-board..could be improved.

1925 L. Hémon Battling Malone 277 [He] took it into his head that the household concerns did not really constitute a sufficiently serious occupation to absorb all his daughter's time.

1987 J. McCorkle Tending to Virginia 80 We would have had money if Raymond hadn't always taken it in his head that he had to buy the biggest and the best.

2009 D. Gabaldon Echo in Bone xxxi. 306 Someone from the Teal might take it into his head to liberate the sailors in the hold.