[main squeeze]{n.}, {slang} 1. The top ranking person in an organization or in a neighborhood; an important person, such as one’s boss. •/Mr. Bronchard is the main squeeze in this office./ 2. The top person in charge of an illegal operation, such as drug sales, etc. •/Before we can clean up this part of town, we must arrest the main squeeze./ 3. One’s principal romantic or sexual partner. •/The singer’s main squeeze is a member of the band./
[majority leader]{n.} The leader of the political party with the most votes in a legislative house. •/The majority leader of the House of Representatives tried to get the members of his party to support the bill./ Compare: MINORITY LEADER.
[make] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, HAVE IT MADE, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, ON THE MAKE.
[make a beeline for]{v. phr.} To go in a straight line toward. •/The runner made a beeline for first base./ •/When the bell rang Ted made a beeline for the door of the classroom./
[make a big deal about]{v. phr.}, {informal} To exaggerate an insignificant event. •/Jeff said, "I’m sorry I banged into you in the dark. Don’t make a big deal out of it."/
[make a clean breast of]{v. phr.} To admit (your guilt); tell all about (your wrong doing); confess everything. •/The police caught the hit-and-run driver and he made a clean breast of his crime./ •/Arthur worried because he cheated on the test, and finally he went to the teacher and made a clean breast of it./ Compare: OFF ONE’S CHEST.
[make a clean sweep of]{v. phr.} 1. Achieve a complete victory. •/In 7980 the Reagan Republicans made a clean sweep of the western states./ 2. To eliminate thoroughly and completely. •/The new attorney general is expected to make a clean sweep of all the old administrative personnel./
[make a clown of] See: MAKE A FOOL OF.
[make a day of it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To do something all day. •/When they go to the beach they take a picnic lunch and make a day of it./ Compare: MAKE A NIGHT OF.
[make a dent in]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make less by a very small amount; reduce slightly. — Usually used in the negative or with such qualifying words as "hardly" or "barely". •/John shoveled and shoveled, but he didn’t seem to make a dent in the pile of sand./ •/Mary studied all afternoon and only made a dent in her homework./
[make a difference] or [make the difference] {v. phr.} To change the nature of something or a situation; be important; matter. •/John’s good score on the test made the difference between his passing or failing the course./ •/It doesn’t make a bit of difference if you are late to my party. I just want you to come./
[make a face]{v. phr.}, {informal} To twist your face; make an ugly expression on your face (as by sticking out your tongue). •/The boy made a face at his teacher when she turned her back./ •/The sick boy swallowed the medicine and made a face./
[make a fast buck] See: FAST BUCK.
[make a federal case out of] See: MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT, MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.
[make a fool of] or (informal) [make a monkey of] {v. phr.} To make (someone) look foolish. •/The boy made a fool of himself./ •/Mary’s classmates made a fool of her by telling her the party was to be a masquerade./
[make after]{v. phr.} To chase something; run after something. •/The mouse escaped from the kitchen corner and the cat made after it./
[make a fuss over]{v. phr.} 1. To quarrel about something or someone. •/I want you kids to stop fussing about who gets the drumstick./ 2. To he excessively concerned about someone or something; worry. •/Let’s not fuss over such an insignificant problem!/ 3. To show exaggerated care or preoccupation about a person or an animal. •/Aunt Hermione is constantly fussing over her old lapdog./
[make a go of]{v. phr.} To turn into a success. •/He is both energetic and highly skilled at trading; he is sure to make a go of any business that holds his interest./
[make a hit]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be successful; be well-liked; get along well. •/Mary’s new red dress made a hit at the party./ •/Alice was so happy that her boyfriend made a hit with her parents./ Compare: GO OVER(6).
[make a killing]{v. phr.} To earn or suddenly win a very large sum of money. •/Herb bought a lot of soybean stock when the price was low and sold it when the price went up. Small wonder he made a huge killing./
[make a living]{v. phr.} To earn one’s livelihood. •/If you’re good at your job, you can make a better living than if you don’t know what you’re doing./ •/It is easier to make a living in the United States than in many other countries./
[make allowance]{v. phr.} To judge results by the circumstances. — Often used in plural. •/When a small boy is helping you, you must make allowances for his age./
[make a long story short]{v. phr.} To summarize a lengthy narrative. •/"So, to make a long story short," he said, "I made a killing on the stock market."/ Compare: IN A NUTSHELL.
[make a match]{v. phr.} To bring a man and woman together for the purpose of an engagement or marriage. •/Sheila’s aunt is anxious to make a match between her and an attractive, wealthy man./
[make a mess of] See: SCREW UP.
[make a monkey of] See: MAKE A FOOL OF.
[make a motion]{v. phr.} To propose in some committee meeting or legislative group that a certain action be taken. •/The secretary made a motion that the minutes of the last meeting be accepted./
[make a mountain out of a molehill] To think a small problem is a big one; try to make something unimportant seem important. •/You’re not hurt badly, Johnny. Stop trying to make a mountain out of a molehill with crying./ •/Sarah laughed at a mistake Betty made in class, and Betty won’t speak to her; Betty is making a mountain out of a molehill./
[make a move]{v. phr.} 1. To budge; change places. •/"If you make a move," the masked gangster said, "I’ll start shooting."/ 2. To go home after dinner or a party. •/"I guess it’s time to make a move," Roy said at the end of the party./
[make a name for oneself]{v. phr.} To become recognized in a field of endeavor; become a celebrity. •/Joe has worked so hard at soybean trading that he made quite a name for himself as a trader./ •/Bill has made a name for himself both as a pianist and as a composer./
[make an appearance] See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE.
[make an end of]{v. phr.} To make (something) end; put a stop to; stop. •/To make an end of rumors that the house was haunted, a reporter spent the night there./
[make an example of]{v. phr.} To punish (someone) publicly to show what happens when someone does wrong. •/The teacher made an example of the boy who copied from another student during a test./ •/The Pilgrims made an example of a thief by putting him in the stocks./
[make an exhibition of oneself]{v. phr.} To behave foolishly or embarrassingly in public. •/Stop drinking so much and making an exhibition of yourself./
[make a night of it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To spend the whole night at an activity. •/The dog found the door unlatched and made a night of it./ •/The boys and girls at the dance made a night of it./ Compare: MAKE A DAY OF IT.
[make a nuisance of oneself]{v. phr.} To constantly bother others. •/The screaming kids made a nuisance of themselves around the swimming pool./
[make a pass at]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} Make advances toward a member of the opposite sex (usually man to a woman) with the goal of seducing the person. •/We’ve been dating for four weeks but Joe has never even made a pass at me./
[make a pig of oneself]{v. phr.}, {informal} To overindulge; eat too much. •/Mary said, "This dessert is so delicious that I am going to make a pig of myself and have some more."/
[make a play for]{v. phr.}, {slang} To try to get the interest or liking of; flirt with; attract. •/Bob made a play for the pretty new girl./ •/John made a play for the other boys' votes for class president./
[make a point]{v. phr.} To try hard; make a special effort. — Used with "of" and a verbal noun. •/He made a point of remembering to get his glasses fixed./ •/He made a point of thanking his hostess before he left the party./
[make a practice of]{v. phr.} To make a habit of; do regularly. •/Make a practice of being on time for work./
[make a quick buck] See: FAST BUCK.
[make a racket]{v. phr.} To cause a lot of noisy disturbance. •/I wish the kids playing in the street wouldn’t make such a racket while I’m trying to take a nap./
[make a scene]{v. phr.} To act hysterically; attract unfavorable attention. •/I didn’t want Kate to make a scene in front of all of those people, so I gave her the money she wanted./
[make a splash]{v. phr.} To cause a sensation. •/The brilliant young pianist, barely 14 years old, made quite a splash on the concert circuit./
[make a stab at]{v. phr.} To try doing something at random without sufficient preparation. •/The singer was not familiar with the aria but she decided to make a stab at it anyhow./ Contrast: STAB IN THE BACK, STAB IN THE DARK.
[make a stand]{v. phr.} 1. To take a firm position on an issue. •/He keeps talking about politics hut he never makes a stand for what he believes in./ 2. To take up a defensive position against the enemy. •/The retreating troops decided to make a stand by the river./ Contrast: LAST DITCH, LAST STAND.
[make a stir] See: MAKE A SCENE.
[make a touch]{v. phr.} To borrow money; try to borrow money. •/He is known to make a touch whenever he is hard up for cash./
[make a virtue of necessity]{v. phr.} Make the best of things as they are; do cheerfully what you do. •/After Mr. Wilson lost all his money, he made a virtue of necessity and found a new and interesting life as a teacher./ Compare: MAKE THE BEST OF.
[make away with]{v.}, {informal} Take; carry away; cause to disappear. •/The lumberjack made away with a great stack of pancakes./ •/Two masked men held up the clerk and made away with the payroll./ Compare: MAKE OFF.
[make-believe]{n.} False; untrue; created by illusion. •/The creatures of Star Wars are all make-believe./
[make believe]{v.} To act as if something is true while one knows it is not; pretend. •/Let’s make believe we have a million dollars./ •/Danny made believe he didn’t hear his mother calling./
[make book]{v. phr.} To serve as a bookmaker taking bets on the horse races. •/The police were out to prosecute anybody who made book illegally./
[make both ends meet] See: MAKE ENDS MEET.
[make bricks without straw]{v. phr.} To make something without the wherewithal; do something the hard way; do a job under hard conditions. •/John could not go to a library, and writing the report was a job of making bricks without straw./ •/It was making bricks without straw to put on plays in that old barn./
[make conversation]{v. phr.} To talk with someone just so that there will be talk. •/John made conversation with the stranger so that he would not feel left out./ •/Mary didn’t really mean what she said about Joan. She was only making conversation./
[make do]{v. phr.} To use a poor substitute when one does not have the right thing. •/John did not have a hammer, and he had to make do with a heavy rock./ •/This motel isn’t what we wanted, but we must make do./ •/Many families manage to make do on very little income./ Compare: GET ALONG.
