take a fancy to

Idioms and Phrases

Also, take a liking or shine to . Be attracted to someone or something, as in They took a fancy to spicy foods after their Mexican vacation , or I'm hoping he'll take a liking to the water, now that we have a cottage on a lake , or We think Bill's taken a shine to Betsy . The first term was first recorded in 1541, the first variant in 1570, and the last, a colloquialism, in 1850.