What is Take A Number?
1.
a reply. used when one of many people ask you to do the same thing.
i.e. james asked me for a sack this weekend, i had to tell him to take a number bc i already had 4 other people ask, too
2.
The reply to a statement, implying that there are many others with the same feeling.
"I want to sleep with you"
"Take a number"
3.
Figurative: "If you want to discuss this topic with me, you will need to wait your turn, as there are any number of others who wish to do so who got here before you did."
Comes from a line control mechanism that is found today with decreasing frequency, where one is requested to take a numbered ticket from a strategically placed dispenser and accordingly wait for that number to be called.
Your computer just blew up? Take a number, I've been getting calls on that all day.
4.
Means, a lot of people are making demands on my time right now and your request may or may not get granted depending on if and/or when I get a chance to get to it.
"You want that when? Yeah, you and everybody else. Take a number Jack."
See
5.
What you say when several parties want to talk/complain to you about some presumed important matter.
-You know, I'm kind of pissed at what you did.
-Yeah? Well take a number.
See
6.
What is said when you need something from someone that is very busy with more important issues than your own.
Darrell: "Jaret, I can't get my test stand running"
Jaret: "I've got so much stuff to do, you'll have to take a number"
7.
Take a number means (more or less) "wait your turn." More often, its used to let someone know that a lot of other people want what they want.
Person A: Hey, I need a copy of the Davidson file.
Person B: Take A number.
