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3. have a crack at

have a crack at

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have/take a crack at something

to try to do something although you are not certain that you will succeed He didn't win the tennis championships, but he plans to have another crack at it next year.

See also: crack, have

have a crack at

Also, get or have a go or shot or whack at ; take a crack at. Make an attempt or have a turn at doing something. For example, Let me have a crack at assembling it, or I had a shot at it but failed, or Dad thinks he can-let him have a go at it, or Dave had a whack at changing the tire, or Jane wants to take a crack at it. The oldest of these colloquialisms is have a shot at, alluding to firing a gun and first recorded in 1756; crack and go date from the 1830s, and whack from the late 1800s.

See also: crack, have