to repossess oneself of something lost

Not so very long ago, a row of docile cheerleaders would say, “rah, rah, rah, sis-boombah”—maybe a leg would kick up into the air, perhaps a jump under the cheerleader's own power.

He was wearing women’s clothes before he had the surgery; then, he actually became a transsexual, and they (amazingly) stayed together.

“I'll bet he was swiping things as a small boy.” “Only biscuits.” “I beg your pardon?” “Or crackers you would call them, wouldn't you? He was telling me he occasionally pinched a cracker or two in his salad days.”