#485August 28, 2025

LinkedIn Pinpoint #485 Answer — August 28, 2025

Clues: Attendance, Office, Inventory, Charge, The bull by the horns

Clues

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Full Analysis

🎯 Pinpoint 485 Answer & Full Analysis — August 28, 2025

This Pinpoint puzzle was all about taking action! When I saw Attendance, I thought of school roll call or event participation. Office made me think of workplaces or political positions. Inventory reminded me of warehouse stock. Charge brought up electricity or credit cards. But then "The bull by the horns" appeared—that's a famous idiom! That's when I realized all these words work with the verb "take": take attendance, take office, take inventory, take charge, and take the bull by the horns. The answer was Things you can take.

🧩 Step-by-Step Solving Process

When I saw Attendance, I thought of recording who's present. Teachers "take attendance" at the start of class.

Office made me think of buildings or workspaces. But politicians and officials "take office" when they start their term.

Inventory brought warehouses and stock management to mind. Businesses regularly "take inventory" to count their goods.

Charge was interesting. You can charge a phone, charge money, or "take charge" of a situation. The last meaning started to form a pattern.

The breakthrough came with The bull by the horns. This is a complete idiom: "take the bull by the horns" means to confront a problem directly. Suddenly I realized: take attendance, take office, take inventory, take charge, take the bull by the horns. All five phrases use the verb take.

🏆 Answer: Pinpoint 485

Things you can take

📋 Words & How They Fit

PhraseFull ExpressionMeaning
AttendanceTake attendanceRecord who is present at an event or class
OfficeTake officeAssume an official position or begin a term of service
InventoryTake inventoryCount and record items in stock
ChargeTake chargeAssume control or responsibility
The bull by the hornsTake the bull by the hornsFace a difficult situation directly and courageously

💡 Lessons Learned From Pinpoint 485

  • Verbs can be the hidden connector: The pattern was built around actions that use "take".
  • Idioms provide strong clues: A full phrase like "The bull by the horns" clearly indicates the missing verb.
  • Think about common collocations: Certain nouns naturally pair with specific verbs.
  • The pattern can mix literal and figurative meanings: "Take attendance" is literal, while "take the bull by the horns" is metaphorical.

❓ FAQ

Q1: Where does the phrase "take the bull by the horns" come from? The phrase originated from bullfighting and bull-wrangling, where grabbing a bull by the horns was the most direct (and dangerous) way to control it. It's been used figuratively since at least the 1700s.

Q2: What does it mean to "take office"? To take office means to formally begin an official position, especially in government. For example, a president takes office on inauguration day.

Q3: Why do businesses take inventory? Businesses take inventory to track what products they have in stock, identify theft or loss, prepare financial statements, and make informed purchasing decisions.

Q4: What's the difference between "take charge" and "take control"? Both mean to assume responsibility, but "take charge" often implies leadership and decision-making authority, while "take control" can be more about gaining power or dominance over a situation.