Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[make oneself scarce]{v. phr.}, {slang} To leave quickly; go away. •/The boys made themselves scarce when they saw the principal coming to stop their noise./ •/A wise mouse makes himself scarce when a cat is nearby./
[make one’s hair stand on end] See: HAIR STAND ON END.
[make one’s head spin]{v. phr.} To be bewildered; be confused. •/It makes my head spin to think about the amount of work I still have to do./
[make one’s mark]{v. phr.} To become known to many people; do well the work you started to do; make a reputation. •/Shakespeare made his mark as a playwright./
[make one’s mouth water]{v. phr.} 1. To look or smell very good; make you want very much to eat or drink something you see or smell. •/The pies in the store window made Dan’s mouth water./ •/The picture of the ice cream soda made his mouth water./ 2. To be attractive; make you want to have something very much. •/Judy collects folk song records, and the records in the store window made her mouth water./ Compare: LICK ONE’S CHOPS.
[make one’s pile]{v. phr.} To make one’s fortune. •/The rich man made his pile in the stock market./
[make one’s way]{v. phr.} 1. To go forward with difficulty; find a path for yourself. •/They made their way through the crowd./ 2. To do many hard things to earn a living; make a life work for yourself. •/He was anxious to finish school and make his own way in the world./ Compare: SHIFT FOR ONESELF.
[make one tick]{v. phr.} To cause to operate; to motivate. •/He is so secretive that we are unable to figure out what makes him tick./
[make or break]{v. phr.} To bring complete success or failure, victory or defeat. •/Playing the role of Hamlet will make or break the young actor./
[make out]{v.} 1. To write the facts asked for (as in an application blank or a report form); fill out. •/The teacher made out the report cards and gave them to the students to take home./ •/Mrs. Smith gave the clerk in the store some money and the clerk made out a receipt./ 2. To see, hear, or understand by trying hard. •/It was dark, and we could not make out who was coming along the road./ •/They could not make out what the child had drawn. /•/The book had many hard words and Anne could not make out what the writer meant./ •/Mr. White does many strange things. No one can make him out./ Syn.: FIGURE OUT. 3. {informal} To make someone believe; show; prove. •/Charles and Bob had a fight, and Charles tried to make out that Bob started it./ •/The boy said he did not take the money but the teacher found the money in the boy’s desk and it made him out to be a liar./ 4. {informal} Do well enough; succeed. •/John’s father wanted John to do well in school and asked the teacher how John was making out./ •/The sick woman could not make out alone in her house, so her friend came and helped her./ 5. To kiss or pet. •/What are Jack and Jill up to? — They’re making out on the back porch./
[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.