[make short work of]{v. phr.} To finish rapidly. •/The cat madeshort work of the baby rabbit./ •/Tim was anxious to get to the movies sohe made short work of his homework./

[make sit up]{v. phr.} To shock to attention; surprise; create keeninterest. •/Her sudden appearance at the party and her amazingly low-cutdress 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 ofit./ 2. To start a fight over; use as an excuse to start a quarrel. •/Bobaccidentally 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 ofwhat Mary said./ Compare: START SOMETHING.

[make sport of] See: MAKE FUN OF.

[make sure]{v. phr.} To see about something yourself; look at to besure. •/Father makes sure that all the lights are off before he goes tobed./ •/Mary thought she had time to get to school but she ran all the wayjust to make sure./ •/Before you write your report on the life ofWashington you should make sure of your facts./

[make the best of]{v. phr.} To do something you do not like to do andnot complain; accept with good humor. •/The girl did not like to wash dishesbut 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 madethe 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 fighthard. •/A man fooled Mr. Black and got his money. Mr. Black will really makethe fur fly when he finds the man./ •/Mrs. Baker’s dog dug holes in herneighbor’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 insurancebusiness./ •/It takes hard study to make the grade in school./ 2. To meeta standard; qualify. •/That whole shipment of cattle made the grade as primebeef./

[make the most of]{v. phr.} To do the most you can with; get the mostfrom; use to the greatest advantage. •/She planned the weekend in town tomake the most of it./ •/George studied hard. He wanted to make the most ofhis chance to learn./ •/The teacher went out of the room for five minutesand some bad boys made the most of it./ •/Bill liked Mary; he would doanything for her, and Mary made the most of it./ Compare: MAKE HAY WHILE THESUN SHINES.

[make the scene]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be present; to arrive at acertain 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 adesignated place in short or good time. •/We’re supposed to be there at 6P.M., and it’s only 5:30 — we’re making good time./ 2. To be successful inmaking sexual advances to someone. •/Joe sure is making time with Sue, isn’the?/

[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 homewhen it began to get dark./ Compare: GET GOING, MAKE HASTE.

[makeup]{n.} (stress on "make") 1. Cosmetics. •/All the actors andactresses put on a lot of makeup./ 2. Attributive auxiliary in lieu of, orbelated. •/The professor gave a makeup to the sick students./

[make up]{v.} (stress on "up") 1. To make by putting things or partstogether. •/A car is made up of many different parts./ 2. To invent; thinkand say something that is new or not true. •/Jean makes up stories to amuseher little brother./ 3a. To do or provide (something lacking or needed); door 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 goto bed early to make up the sleep I lost last night./ •/We have to drivefast to make up the hour we lost in Boston./ •/Vitamin pills make up whatyou lack in your diet./ •/The toy cost a dollar and Ted only had fiftycents, so Father made up the difference./ — Often used in the phrase "makeit up to". •/Uncle Fred forgot my birthday present but he made it up to me bytaking me to the circus./ •/Mrs. Rich spent so much time away from herchildren 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 shouldbe done or given; get or give back what has been lost, missed, or not done; getor give instead; pay back. — Used with "for". •/We made up for lost time bytaking an airplane instead of a train./ •/Saying you are sorry won’t makeup for the damage of breaking the window./ •/Mary had to make up for thetime she missed in school when she was sick, by studying very hard./ •/Thebeautiful view at the top of the mountain makes up for the hard climb to getthere./ 4. To put on lipstick and face paint powder. •/Clowns always makeup before a circus show./ •/Tom watched his sister make up her face for herdate./ 5. To become friends again after a quarrel. •/Mary and Joanquarreled, but made up after a while./ Compare: BURY THE HATCHET. 6. To tryto make friends with someone; to win favor. — Followed by "to". •/The newboy made up to the teacher by sharpening her pencils./

[make up one’s mind]{v. phr.} To choose what to do; decide. •/Theymade up their minds to sell the house./ •/Tom couldn’t decide whether heshould 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 forthe 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 retirethey make way for younger men to take their places./

[mama’s boy]{n. phr.}, {informal} A boy who depends too much onhis mother; a sissy. •/The other boys called Tommy a mama’s boy because hewouldn’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 mostimportant figure in an organization or outfit. •/The man will decide./

[man-about-town]{n. phr.} A sophisticate; an idler; a member of cafesociety; one who knows where the best plays and concerts are given. •/AskMark 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 (oftenused to indicate a person of ignorance). •/Stop asking me such difficultquestions about nuclear physics; I know as much about it as the man in themoon./