Is it proper to take a listen?

“Even if it is,” she continued, “TV announcers totally overuse it, and it has become a pet peeve of mine.”

Buck's afraid “take a listen” is legitimate usage, Helen. “Listen” is most commonly used as a verb, but the American Heritage Dictionary, Merriam Webster's and the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary all define it also as a noun.

The Cambridge dictionary gives this usage example: “Have a listen to this! I've never heard anything like it before.” None of the dictionaries brands it as “informal,” though in Buck's ear “take a listen” has a somewhat informal ring. On the scale of informality, he places it just a notch above “Listen up!” which the Cambridge dictionary considers informal.

Still, if AHD, Webster's and Cambridge give their imprimaturs to “listen” as a noun, Buck can't fault the TV folks for using it that way. If you can take a break, take a drink and take a look, he reckons you can also take a listen, even though the expression says nothing that “listen” by itself doesn't say.