make a life for oneself—construct a good, decent life for oneself (having a job, home, etc.): I don’t feel an affinity to any one place and am willing to move to almost anywhere in order to make a life for myself. make a living for oneself—earn enough to support oneself: It was a time when […]
Difference between Make a kill and Make a killing
make a kill—(of an animal) perform an act of killing: Male lions are rather reticent about expending their energy in hunting—more than three-quarters of kills are made by lionesses. make a killing —(coll.) win or earn suddenly a large sum of money; make an enormous profit: The company made a killing from the sale of […]
Difference between Make a joke about something and Make a joke of something
make a joke about something—tell ridiculous things about smth. so as to cause fun: Adam is able to make good jokes about Cambridge. make a joke of something— 1. turn smth. into a joke: “Oh, it’s you, Mr. Wormold. I was just thinking of you. Talk of the devil,” he said, making a joke of […]
Difference between Make a fortune and Make one’s fortune
make a fortune—make a lot of money: I exploited these unhappy natives to make a fortune for myself. We colonialists thought only of private gain. make one’s fortune—attain a comfortable position in life: Exiled to Canada where he made his fortune, he lost touch with his three sisters. Cf.: seek one’s fortune—try to attain personal […]
Difference between Make a face and Make face
make a face— 1. show one’s dislike or disgust by one’s facial expression: Every time I mentioned taking a swim in the lake Jack made a face. 2. sketch, draw, or model a face: After you’ve played with the controls a bit, and you’ve made a face that you’re happy with, type in a name for […]
Difference between Make a dust and Make the dust fly
make a dust—(coll.) act in a noisy manner; cause a commotion (also: raise the dust): No real building can come out of revolutions which make a dust and a mess and bitterness and reaction. make the dust fly —(coll.) start working with the utmost vigor or energy (also: make the feathers fly): We turned them […]
Difference between Make a do of it and Make a to-do about it
make a do of it—(coll.) make smth. succeed (also: make a go of it): You’ve got your own life and you go and live it and make a do of it. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase make do with something—(also: make something do) accept smth. although it is not […]
Difference between Make a day of it and Make someone’s day
make a day of it—devote a day to some pleasurable activity: To make a day of it, invest 400 yen on a one-day pass that allows passengers to get off and on at sites of interest along the route. make someone’s day—render smb.’s day delightful; give a person great pleasure: I had it sent to […]
Difference between Make a compliment to someone and Make one’s compliments to someone
make a compliment to someone—(also: pay a compliment to someone) express praise or admiration for a person in a remark: She was remarkable for her sincerity, and when she made a compliment to anyone, she spoke what she really felt. make one’s compliments to someone —(also: pay one’s compliments to someone) express one’s greetings or […]
Difference between Make a clean sweep of something and Sweep something clean
make a clean sweep of something— 1. eliminate smth.: The revolutionary force of motorization has made a clean sweep of all other patterns of living. 2. win all the prizes, seats in parliament, etc.: Mr. Drapeau’s Civic Party made a clean sweep of all 52 seats on the city council. sweep something clean—clear dust, dirt, […]
Difference between Make a claim for something and Make a claim to something
make a claim for something—demand compensation payment (under an insurance contract): If you send a parcel that becomes lost or damaged … you may wish to make a claim for compensation. make a claim to something—(also: make a claim on something) 1. assert one’s right to smth.: Japan made a claim to this territory and […]
Difference between Make a case for something and Make a federal case out of something
make a case for something—(also: make out a case for something) give good reasons why smth. should be done: You can easily make a case for giving a placebo as being a valid course of treatment. make a federal case out of something—(also: make it a federal case) complain too much; exaggerate the importance of […]