take for a spin

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take for a spin (third-person singular simple present takes for a spin, present participle taking for a spin, simple past took for a spin, past participle taken for a spin)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To test or try out something, especially an automobile.

   I kicked the tires and then the salesperson invited me to take the car for a spin.

   • 2009, J. Courtney Sullivan, Dating Up: Dump the Schlump and Find a Quality Man‎^[1], Hachette, →ISBN:

     Well, not him exactly, but his car (a Bentley), his vacation homes (Monte Carlo and Corfu), his credit card (a black AmEx that he let her take for a spin on Rodeo Drive every weekend), […]

   • 2013, Linda D. Behen, Recharge Your Library Programs with Pop Culture and Technology: Connect with Today's Teens, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 31:

     Set up desktops, laptops, iPads, and all of your devices with new tools, apps, eBooks, and programs for patrons to take for a spin.

2. (transitive, idiomatic, of a person) To take, as a companion, for a drive in a motor vehicle.

   On Sunday, I took my family for a spin through the surrounding countryside.

   • 2011 April 30, Stephen Bates, “Prince William takes new wife for a spin in father's Aston Martin”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Prince William takes new wife for a spin in father's Aston Martin [title]

   • 2019 April 6, Philip Malcolm, “Bradley Wiggins’ tour of Flanders”, in The Guardian‎^[3], →ISSN:

     ‘You couldn’t find a small area with more cycling history or more hospitality.’ Ahead of tomorrow’s big race, Wiggo takes us for a spin around his favourite hills, cafes and villages[.]