Take a Stab at it
What it means
Attempt something without much confidence, on the grounds that trying costs little.
Where it comes from
The violence has worn off entirely. Stab meaning an attempt appears in American English in the late 1800s, alongside the equally alarming have a crack at it and take a whack at it.
The puzzle it came from
Take a Stab at it was the answer to the Phrasicle of December 28, 2025. The clue read ____ a ____ at it, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.
Play today's Phrasicle Play the December 28, 2025 puzzle
Show the solved grid (this spoils the December 28, 2025 puzzle)
blue
print
shop
window
frame
over
take
care
bear
hug
soy
sauce
base
camp
site
safety
first
stab
wound
care
Phrasicle: Take a Stab at it