Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "M" Idioms doc

Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 509 M mad as a hatter - crazy My neighbor is mad as a hatter and we never know what she will do next. mad as a hornet - very angry Our boss was mad as a hornet when we saw him at the meeting yesterday. made for each other - two people are very well suited romantically The young couple are made for each other and seem to be very happy. made to measure - made especially to fit the measurements of someone When I was working in Hong Kong I purchased several suits that were made to measure. made to order - put together on request My father decided to buy a new computer desk that was made to order. maiden voyage - the first voyage of a ship or boat The maiden voyage of the new cruise ship was popular with many people. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 510 the main drag - the most important street in a town We spent Saturday evening driving up and down the main drag of the town. make Idioms make a bed - arrange the sheets and blankets of a bed neatly My mother always told me to make my bed when I was a child. make a beeline for (someone or something) - hurry directly toward someone or something When I enter the cafeteria I always make a beeline for the dessert section. make a big deal about (something) - exaggerate the seriousness of something I wish that my friend would not make a big deal about every small problem. make a break for (something/somewhere) - move or run quickly to something or somewhere The audience made a break for the doors as soon as the concert was over. make a bundle/pile - make a lot of money My father made a bundle on the stock market several years ago. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 511 make a check out (to someone) - write a check to give to someone with their name on it I made a check out to the animal hospital after they cared for our dog. make a clean breast of (something) - confess something bad that you have done in order not to feel guilty/bad The woman made a clean breast of things and worked hard to start over. make a clean sweep of (something) - do something completely or thoroughly The new political party made a clean sweep of the large cities during the election. make a comeback - return to one's former (successful) career The boxer has been training very hard in his attempt to make a comeback. make a day of it - do something all day We decided to make a day of it and spend the day at the beach. make a dent in (something) - make progress doing something We worked hard all day but we didn`t make a dent in the amount of work left to do. make a difference - cause a change in a situation It doesn`t make a difference whether he comes to the meeting or not. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 512 make a face (at someone) - make a strange face to ridicule someone The little girl made a face at the boy in her class. make a fast/quick buck - make money with little effort The two men tried to make a fast buck during the construction boom. make a fool out of (someone) - make someone look foolish The secretary made a fool out of her boss when she argued with him at the meeting. make a fuss (over someone or something) - worry about or make a bother about someone or something My grandmother always makes a fuss over me when I go to visit her. make a go of (something) - succeed at something, produce good results Although he tried hard he was never able to make a go of his business. make a great show of (something) - do something in a showy fashion The woman made a great show of telling everybody about her new and rich boyfriend. make a hit - be successful Her cake made a hit at the party. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 513 make a killing - make a large amount of money Her mother made a killing on the real estate market before she retired. make a laughingstock of (someone) - do something that makes people laugh at someone I made a laughingstock of myself when I dropped the plate of crackers at the party. make a living - earn enough money to live He cannot make a living by only doing a part-time job. make a long story short - bring a story to an end by omitting some details I had to make a long story short in order to finish my story and leave to catch my train home. make a meal of (something) - eat one main dish/food as an entire meal We were able to make a meal of the chicken that my mother gave us last night. make a mistake - make an error I made a mistake on the math test. make a mountain out of a molehill - make a big problem out of a small problem He is making a mountain out of a molehill by worrying about his son`s problem. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 514 make a name for oneself - become well-known or famous He has made a name for himself in the field of computers. make a night/evening of (doing something) - do something for the entire night/evening We decided to stay home and make a night of playing cards. make a note of (something) - to write something on a piece of paper I made a note of the people that I was going to phone on the weekend. make a nuisance of oneself - be a constant bother I didn't phone the apartment manager to complain about the sink because I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself. make a pass at (someone) - make romantic advances to someone The man was fired because he made a pass at one of the women who he works with. make a pitch (for someone or something) - attempt to promote/sell/advance someone or something The city made a pitch for more money from other levels of government to help build a new sports stadium. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 515 make a play for (someone) - try to make someone romantically interested in you I worked hard all term to make a play for a woman in my computer class. make a point - state something important The speaker used some good examples in order to make a point during his speech. make a point of (doing/saying something) - do or say something with a definite intent He always makes a point of visiting his aunt when he is in town. make a practice of (something) - turn something into a habit I make a practice of going to bed at 11:00 PM every evening. make a reservation - reserve a seat in an airplane/restaurant etc. in advance I phoned the airline last night so that I could make a reservation. make a run for it - dash for safety, make a quick escape I made a run for it as soon as the class finished. make a scene - make a public display or disturbance The woman made a scene in the supermarket when she saw the liquid soap on the floor. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 516 make a silk purse out of a sow's ear - create something valuable out of something of no value You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and the fact is that the woman is not a good singer and will probably never sing in the choir. make a stink (about something) - make a major issue out of something The woman went to the store to make a stink about the broken CD player that she had bought. make an all-out effort - make a big effort The police made an all-out effort to discover who had robbed the three banks. make an appearance - appear somewhere, appear in a performance The famous actor made an appearance at the party for the politician. make an appointment (with someone) - schedule a meeting with someone I made an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth checked. make an example of (someone) - make a public issue out of someone's bad behavior The teacher punished the student severely in order to make an example of him for the other students. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 517 make an exception (for someone) - suspend a rule for someone for one time The security guard made an exception for me and allowed me to enter the parking lot after it was closed. make an impression (on someone) - produce a memorable effect on someone The elderly man made an impression on me and I was very sad when I heard that he had died. make an issue of (something) - turn something into an important matter Our supervisor often tries to make an issue of events that are not important at all. make allowances for (someone or something) - allow extra time for someone or something, make excuses for someone or something We had to make allowances for the fact that the new employee was very slow. make amends for (something) - do something to compensate for an error/injury/loss I was forced to do some extra work to make amends for my mistake of last week. make arrangements for (someone or something) - make plans for someone or something We made arrangements for a small wedding for my cousin. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 518 make as if (to do something) - act as if one were about to do something The driver made as if he was going to turn right but he actually turned left. make away with (something) - take or carry away something The cat made away with the fish that was sitting on top of the kitchen counter. make believe - act as if something is true although one knows that it is not, pretend The children were playing make believe and pretended that they lived in a castle. make book on (something) - make or accept bets on something The gamblers were planning to make book on the coming election. make cracks (about someone or something) - ridicule or make jokes about someone or something The radio announcer made cracks about the famous athlete during the interview. make do with (something) - substitute one thing for another If there is no cream for the coffee we will have to make do with milk. make ends meet - be able to live on the money that one has It is hard to make ends meet on his salary. [...]... meat and potatoes - basic and strong, have simple tastes in food and other things My friend's taste in food and life is one of a basic meat -and- potatoes approach a Mecca for (something) - a place that is popular with people for some reason (from the city of Mecca which is the religious center of Islam) The small area of lakes is a Mecca for people who like to fish meet Idioms meet one's end/death - die... Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com a matter-of-fact manner/way - simply telling or showing the truth, seeming not to care much The witness described the murder in a matter-of-fact way as a matter of fact - used to emphasize that something is true or actually happened "As a matter of fact, I saw him last night and he asked me how you were." a matter of life and death - an issue of great urgency It was a matter of life and death to... fashionable man who leads a sophisticated life My friend is a man-about-town and goes out almost every evening man in the street - an average or ordinary person According to the man in the street the government is not very popular man-to-man - frank or honest, direct I had a man-to-man talk with my friend about his problem last night many is the time - on many occasions Many is the time that I have sat at home... something) - use someone or something I made use of my friends garage to keep some of my tools make waves - create a disturbance He is very quiet at work and does not like to make waves 531 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com make way for (someone or something) - to stand aside, to move so someone or something can pass by The truck went to the side of the road to make way for the ambulance a man-about-town - a fashionable... up - to argue or fight The two groups of young men were mixing it up outside of the school yard 542 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com to mix up (something) - to confuse things, to make a mistake about something The teacher mixed up the DVDs and played the wrong one in front of the class a mix-up - an error, confusion There was a mix-up at the airline ticket counter and I was given the wrong ticket a mixed bag -. .. not to attend the dinner make one`s hair stand on end - frighten/horrify someone The horror movie that we saw last week made my hair stand on end 523 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com make one`s own way - rely on one`s own abilities His father wants him to join the family business but he wants to make his own way and do something different make oneself at home - relax and act as if you were at home She always... new television set from the store make one`s bed and lie in it - be responsible for what you have done and accept the results of your actions "You quit your job and now you have no money You made your bed and now you must lie in it." make one`s blood boil - become very angry Every time that I see that man he makes my blood boil make one`s feelings known - to reveal one's feelings about something My friend... of all evil - money is the basic cause of all wrongdoing Many people believe that money is the root of all evil and causes most problems in the world Money talks - money gives one power and influence Money talks and whenever the wealthy banker goes to his favorite restaurant, he gets the best table available money to burn - much money, more money than is needed My friend has money to burn and never has... blood run cold - shock or horrify someone The sight of the injured family in the car accident made my blood run cold 527 Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com make (someone's) flesh crawl - cause someone's skin to feel funny The movie was very violent and it made my flesh crawl make (someone's) hair stand on end - cause someone to be very frightened The sound of the screaming woman made my hair stand on end make... - be successful in arriving at a destination in a short time or quicker than you expected We made good time yesterday and arrived home before it got dark make hay while the sun shines - do something at the right time, take advantage of an opportunity You should make hay while the sun shines and paint the house while the weather is good not make head nor tail of (something) - not be able to understand . the main drag - the most important street in a town We spent Saturday evening driving up and down the main drag of the town. make Idioms make a bed - arrange the sheets and blankets of. (something) - not be able to understand something We could not make head nor tail of what he was trying to say during his speech. make it - succeed The woman worked hard and was able. borrows money and then does not pay it back quickly. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 522 make merry - have fun, laugh and celebrate We decided to go to a nice restaurant and make merry