Idioms and Phrases 44

1. make a mess of anything: spoil a thing.

• A bad cook only makes a mass of all things because he cannot prepare anything good.

2. make a will: make disposal of property at death time.

• The rich man called the lawyer and made a will before his death.

3. make amends for: compensate for damage, etc.

• The railway department makes amends for the loss of property.

4. make a clean breast of something: disclose fully.

• At the time of his evidence the witness made a clean breast of everything about the murder case.

5. make a living: earn one’s livelihood.

• The present system of education should be reformed in such a way as each student may make his living successfully. 

6. make a mountain of a molehill: magnify a trifle.

• There are certain women who make a mountain of a molehill and disturb the domestic peace.

7. make a man of someone: elevate a man.

• Each father wishes to make men of his sons by good education.

8. make both ends meet: support hardly.

• India is such a poor country as many people find it difficult to make their both ends meet.

9. make bold to do a thing: dare to do a great thing.

• Columbus make himself bold to discover India by making his difficult journey.

10. make the best of a thing: derive maximum advantage.

• Many ministers make the best of their prized position.

11. make believe: pretend.

• On the teacher’s enquiry for his absence Ramesh made him believe that he could not come to the College because of his illness.

12. make common cause with: cooperate work and bear risk in a common way.

• The masses made a common cause with Mahatma Gandhi to take part in the Freedom Movement.

13. make fish of one and flesh of another: separate clearly.

• The judge’s wise judgement made fish of one and flesh of another.

14. make friends: secure the friendship of others.

• There are some persons who know the art of make friends with others.

15. make hay while the sun shines: derive advantage of an existing opportunity.

• There are many ministers who make hay while the sun shines.

16. make free: take liberty without right.

• In the olden days, a slave could not make himself free.

17. make haste: hasten.

• At the time of the departure to Ayodhya Bharata asked Shatrughana to make haste.

18. make headway: make progress.

• Since independence in 1947, the country has made much headway in all fields.

19. make neither head nor tail: understand nothing.

• The speaker spoke so fast that many audience made neither head, nor tail of his speech.

20. make much ado about nothing: make a great fuss about a trifle.

• Women are in the habit of making much ado about nothing.

21. make much of: value highly.

• A true businessman must make much of the principle of honesty.

22. make merry: be jovial.

• All make merry on the occasion of a marriage.

23. make one’s escape: run away.

• In spite of a close guard Subhash Chandra Bose made his escape from India.

24. make one’s mark: do something remarkable.

• He made his mark upon all of his extraordinary brilliance by securing the highest makes in the B.A. examination.

25. make oneself at home: feel quite easy.

• Gandhiji did not make himself at home in England.

26. make one’s mouth water: long for eating something.

• At the shop, the sweets made the children’s mouth water. 

27. make peace: reconcile.

• It is for the mutual benefit both of India and Pakistan to make peace.

28. make room: open a space for someone.

• Good students make room for their class-mates.

29. make sure of: consider as certain.

• The station master made sure of the departure of the train from the previous station.

30. make short work of: bring to sudden end.

• The flood has made short work of the standing crops.

31. make a shift: get along with difficulty.

• The poor make a shift of their living with much difficulty.

32. make terms: come to an agreement.

• Both the heads of India and Pakistan must make terms in all matters.

33. measure swords: fight together.

• As the war broke out, the soldiers, measured their swords.

34. mind one’s p’s and q’s: beware of one’s behaviour.

• An obedient student always minds his p’s and q’s.