Don't leave the furniture behind when you preside! (4,3,5)
I believe the answer is:
take the chair
'preside' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'don't leave the furniture behind when you' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'leave' could be 'take' (taking leave is a kind of leaving) and 'take' is found in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
'furniture' could be 'chair' (chair is a kind of furniture) and 'chair' is present in the answer.
'when' could be 'e' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'e' is found in the answer.
A single letter 'h' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for take the chair that I've seen before include "preside" , "Newly appointed professor will" .)