Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[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.

[make the scene] <v. phr.>, <slang> To be present; to arrive at a certain place or event. * /I am too tired to make the scene; let's go home./

[make things hum] See: KEEP THINGS HUMMING.

[make time] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To be successful in arriving at a designated place in short or good time. * /We're supposed to be there at 6 P.M., and it's only 5:30 - we're making good time./ 2. To be successful in making sexual advances to someone. * /Joe sure is making time with Sue, isn't he?/

[make tongues wag] See: TONGUES TO WAG.

[make tracks] <v. phr.>, <informal> To go fast; get a speedy start; hurry. * /Man, it's time we made tracks!/ * /The boys made tracks for home when it began to get dark./ Compare: GET GOING, MAKE HASTE.

[makeup] <n.> (stress on "make") 1. Cosmetics. * /All the actors and actresses put on a lot of makeup./ 2. Attributive auxiliary in lieu of, or belated. * /The professor gave a makeup to the sick students./

[make up] <v.> (stress on "up") 1. To make by putting things or parts together. * /A car is made up of many different parts./ 2. To invent; think and say something that is new or not true. * /Jean makes up stories to amuse her little brother./ 3a. To do or provide (something lacking or needed); do or supply (something not done, lost, or missed); get back; regain; give back; repay. * /I have to make up the test I missed last week./ * /I want to go to bed early to make up the sleep I lost last night./ * /We have to drive fast to make up the hour we lost in Boston./ * /Vitamin pills make up what you lack in your diet./ * /The toy cost a dollar and Ted only had fifty cents, so Father made up the difference./ - Often used in the phrase "make it up to". * /Uncle Fred forgot my birthday present but he made it up to me by taking me to the circus./ * /Mrs. Rich spent so much time away from her children that she tried to make it up to them by giving them things./ Compare: MAKE GOOD. 3b. To do what is lacking or needed; do or give what should be done or given; get or give back what has been lost, missed, or not done; get or give instead; pay back.
– Used with "for". * /We made up for lost time by taking an airplane instead of a train./ * /Saying you are sorry won't make up for the damage of breaking the window./ * /Mary had to make up for the time she missed in school when she was sick, by studying very hard./ * /The beautiful view at the top of the mountain makes up for the hard climb to get there./ 4. To put on lipstick and face paint powder. * /Clowns always make up before a circus show./ * /Tom watched his sister make up her face for her date./ 5. To become friends again after a quarrel. * /Mary and Joan quarreled, but made up after a while./ Compare: BURY THE HATCHET. 6. To try to make friends with someone; to win favor. Followed by "to". * /The new boy made up to the teacher by sharpening her pencils./

[make up one's mind] <v. phr.> To choose what to do; decide. * /They made up their minds to sell the house./ * /Tom couldn't decide whether he should tell Mother about the broken window or let her find it herself./ Contrast: ON THE FENCE.

[make waves] <v. phr.>, <informal> Make one's influence felt; create a disturbance, a sensation. * /Joe Catwallender is the wrong man for the job; he is always trying to make waves./

[make way] <v. phr.> To move from in front so someone can go through; stand aside. * /The people made way for the king./ * /When older men retire they make way for younger men to take their places./

[mama's boy] <n. phr.>, <informal> A boy who depends too much on his mother; a sissy. * /The other boys called Tommy a mama's boy because he wouldn't come out to play unless his mother stayed near him./

[man] See: COMPANY MAN, EVERY LAST MAN also EVERY MAN JACK, FRONT MAN, HIRED MAN, LADY'S MAN, NEW MAN, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS, TO A MAN, YES-MAN.

[man] or [the man] <n.>, <slang> 1. The police; a policeman. * /I am gonna turn you in to the man./ 2. The boss; the leader; the most important figure in an organization or outfit. * /The man will decide./

[man-about-town] <n. phr.> A sophisticate; an idler; a member of cafe society; one who knows where the best plays and concerts are given. * /Ask Mark where to go when you're in New York City; he's a real man-about-town./

[manger] See: DOG IN THE MANGER.

[man in the moon] <n. phr.> An imaginary or nonexistent person (often used to indicate a person of ignorance). * /Stop asking me such difficult questions about nuclear physics; I know as much about it as the man in the moon./

[man in the street] <n. phr.> The man who is just like most other men; the average man; the ordinary man. * /The newspaper took a poll of the man in the street./ Compare: JOE DOAKES, JOHN Q. PUBLIC.

[manner] See: ALL MANNER OF, TO THE MANNER BORN.

[man of few words] <n. phr.> A man who doesn't talk very much; a man who says only what is needed. * /The principal is a man of few words, but the pupils know what he wants./

[man of his word] <n. phr.> A man who keeps his promises and does the things he agrees to do; a man who can be trusted. * /My uncle is a man of his word./

[man of letters] <n. phr.> A writer; an author; a scholar. * /Chekhov was not only a practicing physician but also a first-rate man of letters./

[man of means] <n. phr.> A rich person. * /He became a man of means by successfully playing the stock market./

[man of parts] <n. phr.>, <literary> A man who has several different skills, talents, or qualities. * /The pianist is a man of parts. He wrote the piece he played, and he also plays the organ and paints well./

[man-of-war] <n. phr.> 1. A stinging jellyfish in the Gulf of Mexico. * /"No swimming today," the sign said, "as we have a man-of-war alert."/ 2. A large battleship displaying its national flag or insignia. * /The shipwreck victims were picked up by an American man-of-war./ 3. The albatross bird. * /After several days at sea we noticed some men-of-war majestically sailing through the skies./

[man-to-man] <adj.> Honest and full in the telling; not hiding anything embarrassing. * /Tom and his father had a man-to-man talk about his smoking pot./ Compare: HEART-TO-HEART.