Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[make mincemeat (out) of] <v. phr.> To destroy completely. * /The defense attorney made mincemeat of the prosecution's argument./

[make much of] <v. phr.> To make something seem of more worth or importance than it really is; praise. * /Visitors made much of the new collie./ * /The boy made much of the hard things of his mountain climb./ Contrast: MAKE LIGHT OF, MAKE LITTLE OF.

[make neither head nor tail of] <v. phr.> To be unable to figure something out. * /This puzzle is so complicated that I can make neither head nor tail of it./ Compare: HEADS OR TAILS.

[make no bones] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To have no doubts; not to worry about right or wrong; not to be against.
– Used with "about". * /Bill makes no bones about telling a lie to escape punishment./ * /The boss made no bones about hiring extra help for the holidays./ 2. To make no secret; not keep from talking; admit.
– Used with "about" or "of the fact". * /John thinks being poor is no disgrace and he makes no bones of the fact./ * /Mary made no bones about her love of poetry even after some of her friends laughed at her./

[make of] <v. phr.> To interpret; understand. * /What do you make of his sudden decision to go to Africa?/

[make off] <v.> To go away; run away; leave. * /When the deer saw the hunter it made off at once./ * /A thief stopped John on a dark street and made off with his wallet./ Compare: TAKE OFF.

[make one feel at home] <v. phr.> To be hospitable; welcome; make someone feel at ease. * /They are very popular hosts because they always manage to make their guests feel at home./

[make one out to be] <v. phr.> To accuse someone of being something. * /Don't make me out to be such a grouch; I am really quite happy-go-lucky./

[make one's bed and lie in it] To be responsible for what you have done and so to have to accept the bad results. * /Billy smoked one of his father's cigars and now he is sick. He made his bed, now let him lie in it./ Compare: FACE THE MUSIC(2).

[make one's blood boil] or [make the blood boil] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make someone very angry. * /When someone calls me a liar it makes my blood boil./ * /It made Mary's blood boil to see the children make fun of the crippled girl./ Compare: BOILING POINT.

[make one's blood run cold] See: BLOOD RUNS COLD.

[make one's ears burn] See: EARS BURN.

[make oneself at home] <v. phr.> To feel comfortable; act as if you were in your own home. * /If you get to my house before I do, help yourself to a drink and make yourself at home./ * /John was an outdoor man and could make himself at home in the woods at night./ Compare: AT EASE, AT HOME(2).

[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.