American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

2.

make bail

Put up security as an assurance that someone released from prison will appear for trial, as in He didn't think he could make bail for his brother. The use of bail for "security" was first recorded in 1495.

make believe

Pretend, as in Let's make believe we're elves. This expression in effect means making oneself believe in an illusion. [Early 1700s]

make bold Also, make so bold as. Dare, presume, take the liberty of doing something, as in Let me make bold and ask you to back me as a member, or I will not make so bold as to criticize a respected scholar. This expression was frequently used by Shakespeare but is heard less often today. [Late 1500s]

make book

Accept bets on a race, game, or contest, as in No one's making book on the local team. This expression uses book in the sense of "a record of the bets made by different individuals." [Mid-1800s]

make bricks without straw

Perform a task without essential materials or means, as in Writing a report without the current data is making bricks without straw. This expression alludes to straw as a material necessary in early brick manufacturing. [Early 1600s]

make capital out of

Use profitably, turn to account, as in The challengers made capital out of the President's signing a bill that increased taxes. This expression, first recorded in 1855, uses capital in the sense of "material wealth used to create more wealth."

make conversation

Engage someone in talking purely for its own sake, make small talk, as in She had a real talent for making conversation with strangers. [c. 1920]

make demands on

Urgently require something of someone, as in Her mother's illness has made considerable demands on her time. [Late 1300s]

make do

Get along with the means available, especially insufficient means. For example, We'll just have to make do with one potato apiece. [c. 1900]

make ends meet

Manage so that one's financial means are enough for one's needs, as in On that salary Enid had trouble making ends meet. This expression originated as make both ends meet, a translation from the French joindre les deux bouts (by John Clarke, 1639). The ends, it is assumed, allude to the sum total of income and expenditures. However, naval surgeon and novelist Tobias Smollett had it as "make the two ends of the year meet" (Roderick Random, 1748), thought to go back to the common practice of splicing rope ends together in order to cut shipboard expenses.

make eyes at

Ogle, flirt with, as in To her sister's disgust, she was always making eyes at the boys. Although slightly different versions, such as throw the eye at, are much older, this precise locution was first recorded in William Makepeace Thackeray's Henry Esmond (1852): "She used to make eyes at the Duke of Marlborough." See also GIVE SOMEONE THE ONCE-OVER.

make fast work of

hand. see MAKE SHORT WORK OF.

make for

1. Have or cause to have a particular effect; also, help promote or further. For example, That letter of yours will make for hard feelings in the family, or This system makes for better communication.

[Early 1500s] 2. Go toward, as in They turned around and made for home. This usage originated in the late 1500s, but was not widely used until the 1800s. Also see

make free with

Take liberties with, treat very familiarly, as in That reporter makes free with the truth, or It's best not to make free with one's employees. This term was first recorded in 1714.

make friends

Form a friendship, foster cordial feelings, as in I hope Brian will soon make friends at school, or

She's done a good job of making friends with influential reporters. [c. 1600]

make fun of Also, poke fun at; make sport of. Mock, ridicule, as in The girls made fun of Mary's shoes, or They poked fun at Willie's haircut, or I wish you wouldn't make sport of the new boy. The first term dates from the early 1700s, the second from the mid-1800s, and the third from the early 1500s.

make good

1. Carry out successfully, make sure of, as in He made good his escape. This usage was first recorded in 1606. 2. Fulfill, as in She made good her promise. This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (II Chronicles 6:16): "Make good unto my father, David . . . that which thou hast promised him." 3. Compensate for, make up for, as in They made good the loss. This usage first appeared in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377). 4. Succeed, as in He made good as a writer. [c. 1900]

make good time

Travel far in a short time, as in We made good time, getting to Vermont in only four hours. [Late 1800s]

make great strides

Advance considerably, make good progress, as in He made great strides in his study of Latin. Since its earliest recorded use in 1600, this expression has taken a number of forms?

make a wide stride,

take strides, make rapid strides. All of them transfer a long walking step to other kinds of progress.

make haste Also, make it snappy. Hurry up, move or act quickly, as in If you don't make haste we'll be late, or Make it snappy, kids. The first expression was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (Psalms 39:13): "Make haste, O Lord, to help me." The variant dates from the early 1900s and uses snappy in the sense of "resembling a sudden jerk." The oxymoron make haste slowly, dating from the mid-1700s, is a translation of the Latin festina lente. It is used either ironically, to slow someone down (as in You'll do better if you make haste slowly), or to comment sarcastically on a lack of progress (as in So far the committee has been making haste slowly).

make hay while the sun shines

Take advantage of favorable circumstances, as in Car sales have finally improved so we're making hay while the sun shines. This expression alludes to optimum dry weather for cutting grass. [Early 1500s]

make head or tail of

hand. see CAN'T MAKE HEAD OR TAIL OF.

make headway

Advance, make progress, as in We haven't made any headway with this project. This expression, first recorded in 1887, uses headway in the nautical sense of "a vessel's forward movement."

make heavy weather

hand. see under HEAVY GOING.

make history

Do something memorable or spectacular enough to influence the course of history, as in That first space flight made history. [Mid-1800s]

make inroads into

Encroach on, advance at another's expense, as in The Japanese rapidly made inroads into the computer-chip market. The noun inroad originally meant "an invasion." [Late 1600s]

make it

1. Also, make it to. Reach a certain point or goal, as in Do you think she'll make it to graduation? or We finally made it to Chicago. [c. 1900] 2. Succeed; also, win acceptance. For example, When he won the prize he realized he'd finally made it, or Jane longed to make it with the crowd from Society Hill. [Colloquial; mid-1900s] 3. Also, make it with. Have sexual intercourse, as in Tom bragged that he'd made it with Sue last night. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

make it hot for

Cause trouble or discomfort for someone, as in They made it so hot for Larry that he had to resign, or The police were making it hot for shoplifters. This seemingly modern idiom was first recorded in 1618.

make it one's business

Undertake a self-appointed task, as in I'll make it my business to find out their plans. This phrase was first recorded in 1642.

make it snappy

hand. see MAKE HASTE.

make it up

hand. see under MAKE UP.

make it with

hand. see MAKE IT, def. 3.

make light of Also, make little of. Treat as unimportant, as in He made light of his allergies, or She made little of the fact that she'd won. The first term, which uses light in the sense of "trivial," was first recorded in William Tyndale's 1526 Bible translation (Matthew 22:5), in the parable of the wedding feast, where the invited guests reject the king's invitation: "They made light of it and went their ways." The variant dates from the early 1800s. For an antonym, see MAKE MUCH OF.

make like

hand. see MAKE AS IF.

make little of

hand. see MAKE LIGHT OF.

make love

1. Court, engage in amorous caressing, as in Romance was in the air, and she hoped he would make love to her. [Late 1500s] 2. Have sexual intercourse, as in They'd been making love well before they married. This usage today is the more common of the two. [Mid-1900s]

make mincemeat of Also, make hamburger of. Thrash, beat decisively, as in That bully will

make mincemeat of my son, or The other team will make hamburger out of us. This idiom alludes to finely chopping up meat. The first term dates from about 1700, the variant from the first half of the 1900s.

make mischief

Cause trouble, as in Don't listen to her gossip?

she's just trying to make mischief. This idiom was first recorded in 1884, but the related noun mischief-maker, a person who causes trouble especially by talebearing, dates from about 1700.

make much of

Treat or consider as very important; also, pay someone a lot of favorable attention. For example,

Bill made much of the fact that he'd been to Europe three times, or Whenever Alice came home for a visit they made much of her. [c. 1300]

make my day

hand. see MAKE ONE'S DAY.

make no bones about

Act or speak frankly about something, without hesitation or evasion. For example, Tom made no bones about wanting to be promoted, or Make no bones about it?

she's very talented. Versions of this expression date back to the mid-1400s and the precise allusion is no longer known. Some believe it meant a boneless stew or soup that one could eat without hesitation; others relate it to dice, originally made from bones, that were thrown without hesitation or fuss.

make no difference

hand. see MAKE A DIFFERENCE, def. 3.

make no mistake

Have no doubt, certainly, as in Make no mistake?

I'll vote Republican no matter who runs. [Mid-1800s] Also see GET SOMEONE WRONG.

make nothing of

1. Regard as unimportant, make light of, as in He made nothing of walking three miles to buy a newspaper. This expression was first recorded in 1632. 2. can make nothing of. Fail to accomplish, understand, or solve something, as in I could make nothing of that long speech. [Late 1600s]

make off

1. Depart in haste, run away, as in The cat took one look at Richard and made off. [c. 1700] 2. make off with. Take something away; also, steal something, as in I can't write it down; Tom

made off with my pen, or The burglars made off with the stereo and computer as well as jewelry.

[Early 1800s]

make one's bed and lie in it

Suffer the consequences of one's actions. For example, It's unfortunate that it turned out badly, but Sara made her bed and now she must lie in it. The earliest English citation for this oftrepeated proverb is in Gabriel Harvey's Marginalia (c. 1590): "Let them . . . go to their bed, as themselves shall make it." The idiom alludes to times when a permanent bed was a luxury, and most people had to stuff a sack with straw every night for use as a bed. There are equivalents in French, German, Danish, and many other languages.

make one's blood boil

Enrage one, as in Whenever Jim criticizes his father, it makes my blood boil. Although this term did not appear in print until 1848, the term the blood boils, meaning "one gets angry," dates from the 1600s.

make one's blood run cold Also, freeze one's blood. Cause one to shiver from fright or horror, as in The radiator's clanking at night made George's blood run cold, or Movies about vampires always freeze my blood. [Early 1800s] Also see MAKE ONE'S FLESH CREEP.

make one's day

Give one great pleasure, as in Hearing you won first prize just made my day. This phrase, which uses make in the sense of "secure success in," was first recorded in 1909.

make one's ears burn

hand. see EARS ARE BURNING.

make oneself at home

Be at ease, act as though one were in one's own home. For example, I have to make a phone call but please make yourself at home, or Tim has a way of making himself at home just about anywhere. This expression was first recorded in 1860. Also see AT HOME, def 3.

make oneself scarce

Depart quickly, go away, as in The children saw Mrs. Frost coming and made themselves scarce.

This idiom applies scarce in the sense of "seldom seen" to removing one's presence. [c. 1800]

make one's flesh creep Also, make one's skin crawl. Cause one to shudder with disgust or fear, as in That picture makes my flesh creep, or Cockroaches make my skin crawl. This idiom alludes to the feeling of having something crawl over one's body or skin. The first term appeared in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1727): "Something in their countenance made my flesh creep with a horror I cannot express." The variant dates from the late 1800s.

make one's hair stand on end Also, make one's hair curl. Terrify one, as in The very thought of an earthquake makes my hair stand on end, or Diving off a high board is enough to make my hair curl. The first term, first recorded in 1534, alludes to goose pimples prompted by fear, which

cause the hairs around them to stand up. The variant dates from the mid-1900s.

make one's head spin

Cause one to be giddy, dazed, or confused, as in The figures in this tax return make my head spin.

This phrase employs spin in the sense of "rapidly gyrating," a usage applied to the brain or head since about 1800.

make one sick

Disgust one, as in Your constant complaining makes me sick. This expression transfers the sensations of physical illness to strong negative sentiments. [c. 1800]

make one's mark

Achieve distinction, as in Terry soon made his mark as an organist. This expression transfers a written or printed symbol to a strong impression. [Mid-1800s] Also see MAKE A NAME FOR

ONESELF.

make one's mouth water

Cause one to eagerly anticipate or long for something, as in Those travel folders about Nepal make my mouth water. This metaphoric term alludes to salivating when one anticipates food and has been used figuratively since the mid-1600s, whether it refers to food, as in The sight of that chocolate cake made her mouth water, or not.

make one's peace with

Reconcile oneself to, bring about friendly relations with, as in He's repented and made his peace with God. This expression was first recorded about 1315. Also see MAKE PEACE.

make one's point

Effectively express one's idea, as in I see what you mean about skateboards being dangerous?

you've made your point. This expression uses point in the sense of "an important or essential

argument or suggestion." Also see MAKE A POINT OF; TAKE ONE'S POINT. [c. 1800]

make one's way

1. Go in a particular direction or to a particular destination, as in I'm making my way to the china department, or How are we going to make our way through this underbrush? This usage was first recorded

about 1400. 2. Also, make one's own way. Advance in life by one's own efforts, His family hasn't much money so he'll just have to make his own way in the world. [c. 1600]

make or break

Cause either total success or total ruin, as in This assignment will make or break her as a reporter.

This rhyming expression, first recorded in Charles Dickens's Barnaby Rudge (1840), has largely

replaced the much older (16th-century) alliterative synonym make or mar, at least in America.

make out

1. Discern or see, especially with difficulty, as in I can hardly make out the number on the door. [Mid1700s] 2. Manage, get along, as in How did you make out with the accountant? This usage was first recorded in 1820. 3. Engage in sexual foreplay or intercourse, as in Bill and Jane were making out on the sofa, or Joe bragged that he made out last night. [Slang; early 1900s] 4.

Understand, as in I can't make out what she is trying to say. [Mid-1600s] Also see CAN'T MAKE

HEAD OR TAIL OF. 5. Establish or prove, as in He made out that he was innocent. [Colloquial; mid-1600s] 6. Imply or suggest. This usage often occurs with an infinitive, as in Are you making me out to be a liar? [Colloquial; mid-1600s] 7. Write out, draw up; fill in a written form. For example, He made out the invoices, or Jane started making out job applications. This usage was first recorded in 1465.

make out like a bandit

Succeed extremely well, as in He invested in real estate and made out like a bandit. This expression likens other forms of success to that of a triumphant robber. It may, however, come from an intermediate source, that is, the use of bandit (or one-armed bandit) for a slot machine, which is far more profitable for the house than for gamblers. [Slang; c. 1970]

make over

1.Redo, renovate, as in We're making over the playroom into an additional bedroom. [Late 1600s]

2.Change or transfer ownership, usually through a legal document, as in She made over the house to her daughter. This usage was first recorded in 1546.

make peace

Bring about friendly relations or a state of amity; end hostilities. For example, The United Nations sent a task force to make peace between the two warring factions, or Mom was good at making peace among the children. [Mid-1100s] Also see MAKE ONE'S PEACE WITH.

make ready

hand. see GET READY.

make rounds

hand. see MAKE THE ROUNDS, def. 2.

make sail

hand. see SET SAIL.

make sense

1. Be understandable. This usage, first recorded in 1686, is often used in a negative context, as in

This explanation doesn't make sense. 2. Be reasonable, wise, or practical, as in It makes sense to

find out first how many will attend the conference. This term employs sense in the meaning of "what is reasonable," a usage dating from 1600. In Britain it is also put as stand to sense.

make short work of

Complete or consume quickly, as in The children made short work of the ice cream, or They made short work of cleaning up so they could get to the movies. This term, first recorded in 1577, in effect means "to turn something into a brief task."

make someone look good

Cause someone to appear in a favorable light, as in Harry's staff does most of the important work and makes him look good.

make something of

1. Render important or useful; improve. For example, Dad hoped Tim would make something of himself. [Late 1700s] 2. Give undue importance to something, especially a problem or disagreement,

as in Ann decided to make something of it when Bob said women's studies is not a real discipline.

This usage sometimes is put as make something out of nothing, as in So what if Jim had coffee with your girlfriend?

don't make something out of nothing. For an antonym, see MAKE NOTHING OF, def. 1.

make sport of

hand. see MAKE FUN OF.

make stick

Make effective or permanent, as in They tried to appeal but our lawyers made the verdict stick.

This idiom uses stick in the sense of ''adhere." [First half of 1900s]

make sure

1. Make certain, establish something without doubt, as in Make sure all the doors are locked. It is also put as make sure of, as in Before you make that speech, make sure of your facts. This usage was first recorded in 1565. 2. make sure of. Act so as to be certain of something, as in He wanted to make sure of his own district before seeking support elsewhere. This usage was first recorded in 1673.

make the bed

Rearrange a bed and its coverings to its condition before it was slept in. For example, Mom taught us all to make the bed before we got dressed. Also see MAKE ONE'S BED AND LIE IN IT.

make the best of it Also, make the best of a bad bargain. Adapt as well as possible to a bad situation, bad luck, or similar circumstances, as in Jeff ended up in a cabin without his friends, but decided to make the best of it, or She got the worst possible position, but Dad told her to make the

best of a bad bargain. The first term dates from the first half of the 1600s. The second appeared in John Ray's proverb collection of 1670 and coexisted for a time with variants such as make the best of a bad game and make the best of a bad market, which have died out.

make the dust fly Also, make the feathers or fur fly. Stir matters up, cause a commotion or disturbance. For example, When she saw the dog sleeping on her new bedspread, she really made the dust fly, or As soon as he learns who dented his car, he'll make the feathers fly, or She'd better not interfere or he'll make the fur fly. The first usage alludes to the results of a vigorous house-cleaning effort. The two variants, both dating from the early 1800s, allude to what happens when a hunting dog is set on a bird or rabbit.

make the grade

Satisfy the requirements, qualify; also, succeed. For example, Angela hoped her work in the new school would make the grade, or Barbara certainly has made the grade as a trial lawyer. This expression uses grade in the sense of "accepted standard." [c. 1900]

make the most of

Use to the greatest advantage, as in She planned to make the most of her trip to Europe, or The class quickly made the most of the teacher's absence. This expression was first recorded in 1526.

make the rounds

1. Follow a given circuit, as in The watchman makes the rounds every hour, or The gossip soon made the rounds of the school. Versions of this expression, such as go the rounds, follow the rounds, march the rounds, date from about 1600. 2. make rounds. Visit each hospitalized patient who is under the care of a specific physician, as in The surgery residents make rounds with their chief every morning. [c. 1900]

make the scene

Put in an appearance, take part in an event, as in I'll miss most of the party, but I hope to make the scene before midnight. This expression employs scene in the sense of "a place where an action occurs." [Slang; mid-1900s]

make the sparks fly

Start a fight or argument, as in If Mary finds out he went to the races without her, that will make the sparks fly. In this idiom, the small particles of a fire

called sparks are transferred to an inflammatory situation. [Early 1900s]

make time

1. Proceed rapidly, as in We have to make time if we don't want to miss the first part of the movie.

This usage alludes to compensating for lost time. [First half of 1800s] Also see MAKE GOOD

TIME. 2. make time for. Arrange one's schedule for doing something or seeing someone, as in Harold always manages to make time for tennis, or I'm pretty busy, but I can make time for you tomorrow morning. 3. make time with. Court or flirt with someone, as in Jerry is trying to make time with Beth. [Slang; first half