Take a look= Quick look or Carefully observe?

[Ashraful Haque]

I found two meanings of 'take a look.' They are:
1) To glance or look at someone or something, especially in a quick, informal, or nonchalant manner.
2) To observe or examine someone or something.

They sound somewhat contradictory to me. If I'm at the mall and ask someone to take a look at a shirt am I telling him to inspect it carefully or just casually take a look at it?

 

[emsr2d2]

Essentially, "take a look at" simply means "look at". The context would make it clear how carefully we would look at it.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

Essentially, "take a look at" simply means "look at". The context would make it clear how carefully we would look at it.

So if tell a car mechanic to take a look at my car I telling him to inspect my car carefully. And if a BMW i8 is driving past me and I tell my friend to take a look at it I'm basically telling him to take a quick glance at it. Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

So if I tell a car mechanic to take a look at my car, I am telling him to inspect my car carefully. [STRIKE]And[/STRIKE] If a BMW i8 is driving past me and I tell my friend to take a look at it, I'm basically telling him to take a quick glance at it. Am I right?

You don't need to tell a car mechanic what to do. In that context, you're just asking him (probably) to work out what's wrong with it. You don't know how long it will take him. At the rate most BMW drivers go, your friend won't have much option other than a quick glance!