Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[make over] {v.} 1. To change by law something from one owner to another owner; change the name on the title (lawful paper) from one owner to another. •/ Mr. Brown made over the title to the car to Mr. Jones. / 2. To make something look different; change the style of. •/ He asked the tailor to make over his pants. The tailor cut off the cuffs and put a belt across the back. /

[make passes at]See: MAKE A PASS AT.

[make rounds] {v. phr.} To travel the same route, making several stops along the way. •/ The milkman makes his rounds every morning. / •/ The doctor makes the rounds of the hospital rooms. /

[make sense] {v. phr.} 1. To be something you can understand or explain; not be difficult or strange. •/ The explanation in the school book made no sense because the words were hard. / Compare: MAKE HEAD OR TAIL OF. 2. To seem right to do; sound reasonable or practical. •/ Does it make sense to let little children play with matches? /

[make short work of] {v. phr.} To finish rapidly. •/ The cat made short work of the baby rabbit. / •/ Tim was anxious to get to the movies so he made short work of his homework. /

[make sit up] {v. phr.} To shock to attention; surprise; create keen interest. •/ Her sudden appearance at the party and her amazingly low-cut dress made us all sit up. /

[make something of] {v. phr.} 1. To make (something) seem important. •/ When girls see another girl with a boy, they often try to make something of it. / 2. To start a fight over; use as an excuse to start a quarrel. •/ Bob accidentally shoved Bill in the corridor, and Bill made something of it. / •/ Ann didn’t like what Mary said about her. She tried to make something of what Mary said. / Compare: START SOMETHING.

[make sport of]See: MAKE FUN OF.

[make sure] {v. phr.} To see about something yourself; look at to be sure. •/ Father makes sure that all the lights are off before he goes to bed. / •/ Mary thought she had time to get to school but she ran all the way just to make sure. / •/ Before you write your report on the life of Washington you should make sure of your facts. /

[make the best of] {v. phr.} To do something you do not like to do and not complain; accept with good humor. •/ The girl did not like to wash dishes but she made the best of it. / Compare: MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.

[make the blood boil]See: MAKE ONE’S BLOOD BOIL.

[make the feathers fly] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To enjoy working; be strong and work hard. •/ When Mrs. Hale did her spring cleaning she made the feathers fly. / 2. See: MAKE THE FUR FLY.

[make the fur fly]or [make the feathers fly] {v. phr.} , {informal} Say or write mean things about someone or to jump on and fight hard. •/ A man fooled Mr. Black and got his money. Mr. Black will really make the fur fly when he finds the man. / •/ Mrs. Baker’s dog dug holes in her neighbor’s garden. The neighbor really made the fur fly when she saw Mrs. Baker. /

[make the grade] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To make good; succeed. •/ It was clear that Mr. Baker had made the grade in the insurance business. / •/ It takes hard study to make the grade in school. / 2. To meet a standard; qualify. •/ That whole shipment of cattle made the grade as prime beef. /

[make the most of] {v. phr.} To do the most you can with; get the most from; use to the greatest advantage. •/ She planned the weekend in town to make the most of it. / •/ George studied hard. He wanted to make the most of his chance to learn. / •/ The teacher went out of the room for five minutes and some bad boys made the most of it. / •/ Bill liked Mary; he would do anything for her, and Mary made the most of it. / Compare: MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.

[make the scene] {v. phr.} , {slang} To be present; to arrive at a certain place or event. •/ I am too tired to make the scene; let’s go home. /

[make things hum]See: KEEP THINGS HUMMING.

[make time] {v. phr.} , {slang} 1. To be successful in arriving at a designated place in short or good time. •/ We’re supposed to be there at 6 P.M., and it’s only 5:30 — we’re making good time. / 2. To be successful in making sexual advances to someone. •/ Joe sure is making time with Sue, isn’t he? /

[make tongues wag]See: TONGUES TO WAG.

[make tracks] {v. phr.} , {informal} To go fast; get a speedy start; hurry. •/ Man, it’s time we made tracks! / •/ The boys made tracks for home when it began to get dark. / Compare: GET GOING, MAKE HASTE.

[makeup] {n.} (stress on "make") 1. Cosmetics. •/ All the actors and actresses put on a lot of makeup. / 2. Attributive auxiliary in lieu of, or belated. •/ The professor gave a makeup to the sick students. /

[make up] {v.} (stress on "up") 1. To make by putting things or parts together. •/ A car is made up of many different parts. / 2. To invent; think and say something that is new or not true. •/ Jean makes up stories to amuse her little brother. / 3a. To do or provide (something lacking or needed); do or supply (something not done, lost, or missed); get back; regain; give back; repay. •/ I have to make up the test I missed last week. / •/ I want to go to bed early to make up the sleep I lost last night. / •/ We have to drive fast to make up the hour we lost in Boston. / •/ Vitamin pills make up what you lack in your diet. / •/ The toy cost a dollar and Ted only had fifty cents, so Father made up the difference. / — Often used in the phrase "make it up to". •/ Uncle Fred forgot my birthday present but he made it up to me by taking me to the circus. / •/ Mrs. Rich spent so much time away from her children that she tried to make it up to them by giving them things. / Compare: MAKE GOOD. 3b. To do what is lacking or needed; do or give what should be done or given; get or give back what has been lost, missed, or not done; get or give instead; pay back. — Used with "for". •/ We made up for lost time by taking an airplane instead of a train. / •/ Saying you are sorry won’t make up for the damage of breaking the window. / •/ Mary had to make up for the time she missed in school when she was sick, by studying very hard. / •/ The beautiful view at the top of the mountain makes up for the hard climb to get there. / 4. To put on lipstick and face paint powder. •/ Clowns always make up before a circus show. / •/ Tom watched his sister make up her face for her date. / 5. To become friends again after a quarrel. •/ Mary and Joan quarreled, but made up after a while. / Compare: BURY THE HATCHET. 6. To try to make friends with someone; to win favor. — Followed by "to". •/ The new boy made up to the teacher by sharpening her pencils. /

[make up one’s mind] {v. phr.} To choose what to do; decide. •/ They made up their minds to sell the house. / •/ Tom couldn’t decide whether he should tell Mother about the broken window or let her find it herself. / Contrast: ON THE FENCE.

[make waves] {v. phr.} , {informal} Make one’s influence felt; create a disturbance, a sensation. •/ Joe Catwallender is the wrong man for the job; he is always trying to make waves. /

[make way] {v. phr.} To move from in front so someone can go through; stand aside. •/ The people made way for the king. / •/ When older men retire they make way for younger men to take their places. /

[mama’s boy] {n. phr.} , {informal} A boy who depends too much on his mother; a sissy. •/ The other boys called Tommy a mama’s boy because he wouldn’t come out to play unless his mother stayed near him. /

[man]See: COMPANY MAN, EVERY LAST MAN also EVERY MAN JACK, FRONT MAN, HIRED MAN, LADY’S MAN, NEW MAN, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS, TO A MAN, YES-MAN.

[man]or [the man] {n.} , {slang} 1. The police; a policeman. •/ I am gonna turn you in to the man. / 2. The boss; the leader; the most important figure in an organization or outfit. •/ The man will decide. /

[man-about-town] {n. phr.} A sophisticate; an idler; a member of cafe society; one who knows where the best plays and concerts are given. •/ Ask Mark where to go when you’re in New York City; he’s a real man-about-town. /

[manger]See: DOG IN THE MANGER.

[man in the moon] {n. phr.} An imaginary or nonexistent person (often used to indicate a person of ignorance). •/ Stop asking me such difficult questions about nuclear physics; I know as much about it as the man in the moon. /

[man in the street] {n. phr.} The man who is just like most other men; the average man; the ordinary man. •/ The newspaper took a poll of the man in the street. / Compare: JOE DOAKES, JOHN Q. PUBLIC.

[manner]See: ALL MANNER OF, TO THE MANNER BORN.

[man of few words] {n. phr.} A man who doesn’t talk very much; a man who says only what is needed. •/ The principal is a man of few words, but the pupils know what he wants. /

[man of his word] {n. phr.} A man who keeps his promises and does the things he agrees to do; a man who can be trusted. •/ My uncle is a man of his word. /

[man of letters] {n. phr.} A writer; an author; a scholar. •/ Chekhov was not only a practicing physician but also a first-rate man of letters. /

[man of means] {n. phr.} A rich person. •/ He became a man of means by successfully playing the stock market. /

[man of parts] {n. phr.} , {literary} A man who has several different skills, talents, or qualities. •/ The pianist is a man of parts. He wrote the piece he played, and he also plays the organ and paints well. /

[man-of-war] {n. phr.} 1. A stinging jellyfish in the Gulf of Mexico. •/ "No swimming today," the sign said, "as we have a man-of-war alert." / 2. A large battleship displaying its national flag or insignia. •/ The shipwreck victims were picked up by an American man-of-war. / 3. The albatross bird. •/ After several days at sea we noticed some men-of-war majestically sailing through the skies. /

[man-to-man] {adj.} Honest and full in the telling; not hiding anything embarrassing. •/ Tom and his father had a man-to-man talk about his smoking pot. / Compare: HEART-TO-HEART.