The Attorney-General's exaggerated tone tells us to take his speech with a grain of salt.

Hillary whispered in his ear and took his speech out of her pocket.

Those who knew him well shot up their hands, but most took his speech at face value and demurred.

How seriously did Mr. Robertson take his executive director's change-of-heart speech?

And how did those fellows take your speech?

Tell him to get lost and take his little speech elsewhere, and he'll babble like a brook.

It took my speech, and my wits, I think.

Lady Margery was on the same side of the table as himself, so he had not seen how she had taken his speech.

Some people took her speech calmly, others went into hysterics.

The preliminaries took just over an hour - the reading of the charges and the Prosecuting Officer's speech in which he put his case.