Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[many]See: GOOD MANY or GREAT MANY, IN SO MANY WORDS, SO MANY.

[many a] {adj.} Many (persons or things) — Used with a singular noun. •/ Many a boy learns to swim before he can read. / •/ I have spent many a day in his home. /

[many hands make light work]If many people work together, even a hard job becomes easier. — A proverb. •/ Come on boys, many hands make light work. If we work together, we can finish painting the barn. /

[many is me]There are a great number of (persons or things); many are the (persons or things). — Used at the beginning of a sentence with a singular noun. •/ Many is the man I have lent money to. / •/ Many was the time I ate at that restaurant. / Compare: MANY A.

[many moons ago] {adv. phr.} A long, long time ago. •/ Many moons ago, when I was young, I was able to dance all night. /

[map]See: PUT ON THE MAP.

[map out] {v. phr.} To arrange; lay out; plan. •/ The candidate will meet with his campaign manager tomorrow to map out his campaign strategy. /

[marble]See: HAVE ALL ONE’S BUTTONS or HAVE ALL ONE’S MARBLES.

[March]See: MAD AS A HATTER or MAD AS A MARCH HARE.

[march]See: STEAL A MARCH ON.

[mare’s nest] {n. phr.} Something that doesn’t exist; a discovery that proves to be worthless. •/ He claims that he has discovered a gasoline substitute but we suspect it will turn out to be a mare’s nest. /

[marine]See: TELL IT TO THE MARINES.

[mark]See: MAKE ONE’S MARK, TOE THE LINE or TOE THE MARK, UP TO THE MARK at UP TO PAR(2), WALK THE CHALK or WALK THE CHALK LINE or WALK THE CHALK MARK, WIDE OF THE MARK.

[markdown] {n.} A reduction in price. •/ Joan asked, "Do you like my new sandals? They were markdowns at Marshall Field’s." /

[mark down] {v. phr.} 1. To lower the price. •/ The department store marked down their prices on women’s sandals. / 2. To give a poor grade to a student. •/ Peter was marked down for his numerous spelling errors. / 3. To make a written note of something. •/ Here is my phone number; mark it down. /

[marked man] {n. phr.} A man whose behavior has made him the object of suspicion; a man whose life may be in danger. •/ When Dave dared to criticize the dictator openly, he became a marked man. /

[market]See: FLEA MARKET, IN THE MARKET FOR, ON THE MARKET, PLAY THE MARKET.

[mark off] {v. phr.} Mark with lines; lay out in sections. •/ The field will be marked off in accordance with the special track events that will take place tomorrow. /

[mark one’s words] {v. phr.} To pay close attention to what one says; an emphatic expression indicating prophecy. •/ "It will certainly rain tomorrow," he said. "Mark my words." /

[mark time] {v. phr.} 1. To move the feet up and down as in marching, but not going forward. •/ The officer made the soldiers mark time as a punishment. / 2. To be idle; waiting for something to happen. •/ The teacher marked time until all the children were ready for the test. / 3. To seem to be working or doing something, but really not doing it. •/ It was so hot that the workmen just marked time. /

[marry money] {v. phr.} To marry a rich person. •/ Ellen married money when she became Hal’s wife. /

[masking tape] {n.} A paper tape that is stuck around the edges of a surface being painted to keep the paint off the surface next to it. •/ The painters put masking tape around the window frames to keep the paint off the glass. /

[masse]See: EN MASSE.

[mast]See: NAIL ONE’S COLORS TO THE MAST.

[master copy] {n.} 1. A perfect text to which all copies are made to conform; a corrected version used as a standard by printers. •/ The master copy must be right, because if it isn’t, the mistakes in it will be repeated all through the edition. / 2. A stencil from which other copies are made. •/ Mr. Brown told his secretary to save the master copy so that they could run off more copies whenever they needed them. / •/ The master copy was too light so many of the copies didn’t come out clear. /

[master key] {n. phr.} A key that opens a set of different locks. •/ The building janitor has a master key to all of the apartments in this building. /

[mastermind] {v.} To create; direct; invent the central plan for several individuals to follow. •/ Lenin masterminded the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. /

[mastermind] {n.} A person who supplies the intelligence for a project and/or undertakes its management. •/ Winston Churchill was the mastermind in the war against Hitler. /

[master of ceremonies]or [M.C.]or [emcee] {n.} The person in charge of introducing the various participants in a show or entertainment. •/ Bob Hope was the M.C. of many memorable shows. /

[mat]See: WELCOME MAT IS OUT.

[matter]See: FOR THAT MATTER, LAUGHING MATTER, NO MATTER, THE MATTER.

[matter of course] {n. phr.} Something always done; the usual way; habit; rule. •/ A was a matter of course for John to dress carefully when he was meeting his wife. / •/ Bank officers ask questions as a matter of course when someone wants to borrow money. /

[matter of fact] {n. phr.} Something that is really true; something that can be proved. •/ The town records showed that it was a matter of fact that the two boys were brothers. / •/ It is a matter of fact that the American war against England was successful. / — Often used for emphasis in the phrase "as a matter of fact". •/ I didn’t go yesterday, and as a matter of fact, f didn’t go all week. / •/ Mary wasn’t wearing a blue dress. As a matter of fact, she hasn’t got a blue dress. / Compare: FOR THAT MATTER, IN FACT. Contrast: MATTER OF OPINION.

[matter-of-fact] {adj.} 1. Simply telling or showing the truth; not explaining or telling more. •/ The newspaper gave a matter-of-fact account of the murder trial. / 2. Showing little feeling or excitement or trouble; seeming not to care much. •/ When Mary’s father died she acted in a very matter-of-fact way. / •/ He was a very matter-of-fact person. /

[matter of opinion] {n. phr.} Something that may or may not be true; something that people do not all agree on. •/ Whether or not he was a good general is a matter of opinion. / Compare: MATTER OF FACT.

[matter of record] {n. phr.} A fact or event that is kept officially as a legal record. •/ If you are convicted of speeding it becomes a matter of record. / •/ A birth certificate or a marriage license is a matter of record. /

[may]See: BE THAT AS IT MAY, COME WHAT MAY, LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.

[M.C.]or [emcee] {v.} To act as master of ceremonies at a show. •/ The famous actor emceed the entire television show. /

[me]See: DEAR ME, PICK-ME-UP, SO HELP ME.

[mean business] {v. phr.} , {informal} To decide strongly to do what you plan to do; really mean it; be serious. •/ The boss said he would fire us if we didn’t work harder and he means business. / •/ When she went to college to study, she meant business. / •/ He just liked the company of the other girls he dated, but this time he seems to mean business. /

[means]See: BY ALL MEANS, BY MEANS OF, BY NO MEANS, WAYS AND MEANS.

[means to an end] {n. phr.} An action leading to some end or purpose. •/ Money for him was just a means to an end; actually he wanted power. /

[mean well] {v. phr.} To have good intentions. •/ Fred generally means well, but he has a tendency to be tactless. /

[measure]See: BEYOND MEASURE, FOR GOOD MEASURE, MADE-TO-MEASURE, TAKE ONE’S MEASURE or TAKE THE MEASURE OF.

[measure off] {v. phr.} To mark by measuring. •/ She measured off three yards with which to make the new dress. /

[measure up] {v.} To be equal; be of fully high quality; come up. •/ John didn’t measure up to the best catchers but he was a good one. / •/ Lois' school work didn’t measure up to her ability. / Compare up: TO PAR. Contrast: FALL SHORT.

[meatball] {n.} , {slang} A dull, boring, slow-witted, or uninteresting person. •/ You’ll never get an interesting story out of that meatball — stop inviting him. /

[medicine]See: TAKE ONE’S MEDICINE.

[medium]See: STRIKE A HAPPY MEDIUM.

[meet]See: MAKE ENDS MEET.

[meet halfway]See: GO HALFWAY.

[meeting]See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER or SUNDAY-GO-TO-MEETING CLOTHES.

[meet one’s death] {v. phr.} To die. •/ Algernon met his death in a car accident. /

[meet one’s eye] {v. phr.} To be in plain view or come into plain view; appear clearly or obviously. •/ When John rounded the bend, a clear blue lake met his eye. / •/ On a first reading the plan looked good, but there was more to it than met the eye. /

[meet one’s match] {v. phr.} To encounter someone as good as oneself. •/ The champion finally met his match and lost the game. /

[meet one’s Waterloo] {v. phr.} To be defeated; lose an important contest. •/ After seven straight victories the team met its Waterloo. / •/ John fought instead of running, and the bully met his Waterloo. / (After Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo.)

[meet up with] {v. phr.} To meet by accident; come upon without planning or expecting to. •/ When he ran around the tree, Bob suddenly meet up with a large bear. / •/ The family would have arrived on time, but they met up with a flat tire. /

[meet with] {v.} 1. To meet (someone), usually by accident. •/ In the woods he met with two strangers. / Syn.: COME UPON. 2. To meet together, usually by plan; join; have a meeting with. •/ The two scouts met with the officers to talk about plans for the march. / 3. To experience (as unhappiness); suffer (as bad luck); have (as an accident or mishap). •/ The farmer met with misfortune; his crops were destroyed by a storm. / •/ The traveler met with an accident on the road. /

[melt]See: BUTTER WOULDN’T MELT IN ONE’S MOUTH, MELT IN ONE’S MOUTH.