There’s something that has recently started bothering me: When one so eloquently says “I have to take a crap.“, they aren’t taking anything. It’s actually quite the opposite; they are giving something. Even if one were to treat “crap” as a verb rather than a noun (such the dual syntax of “run”), it would be said “I have to go for a crap.”

Now, if one were to speak quite literally – “I have to go give a crap.” – the meaning changes altogether. Because “giving a crap” isn’t actually depositing waste matter in the toilet, but rather caring about a certain topic or issue.

The english language is silly sometimes.