Idioms M1

mad

be as mad as a hatter

to be crazy

e.g. Her brother’s as mad as a hatter.

be as mad as a hornet

to be very angry
(a hornet is a large incest which stings people)

e.g. He was as mad as a hornet when he heard what she said about him.

be as mad as a March hare (old-fashioned)

to be crazy

e.g. This woman was dancing in the road and singing very loudly - I thought she was mad as a March hare.

Don’t get mad, get even.

sth you say in order to tell sb not to be angry when sb has upset them, but to of sth that will upset them as much

e.g. This is my advice to wives whose husbands have left them for a younger woman - don’t get mad, get even!

like mad

if sth hurts like mad it hurts very much, and if you do sth like mad you do it very quickly and with a lot of force

e.g. This cut stings like mad.
e.g. I braked like mad but couldn’t stop in time and hit the car in front.

be made for sb/sth

to be exactly suitable for sb our sth

e.g. Paul and Ann were made for each other.

have (got) it made

sb who has got it made is certain to be successful and have a good life, often without much effort

e.g. With his father at the head of the firm, he’s got it made.

show (sb) what you are made of
see what sb is made of

to prove how strong or clever or brave you are

e.g. Next week’s race will give her a chance to show what she’s really made of.
e.g. Tomorrow it’s the twelve-mile run. Then we’ll see what you’re made of.

a magic moment

a short period of time which is very special, especially because sth happens which makes you very happy

e.g. The young eagle was only in view for a few seconds, but for a bird-lover like me it was a magic moment.

a magic touch

a special ability to do sth very well

e.g. The film’s great success will no doubt please the 46-year old director who was rumoured to have lost his magic touch.

a magic wand

an easy way to solve a problem

e.g. Artiside has warned that he has no magic wand to provide food and work overnight.

What’s the magic word?

sth you say to a child in order to make them say “please” or “thank you”

e.g. - Can I have a chocolate mummy? - What’s the magic word? - Please

work your/its magic

to make a situation improve a lot or to make sb feel happy

e.g. The city never failed to work its magic on me.

work like magic

if sth works like magic, it is very effective and successful

e.g. That new stain remover worked like magic.

the main drag

the biggest and most important road in a town

e.g. We walked up and down the town’s main drag looking for a post office.

be sb’s main squeeze

to be the person that sb has a romantic or sexual relationship with

e.g. Didn’t you know? Jennifer is Bob’s main squeeze.

in the main

most usually

e.g. In the main, our students reach exam level after a year.

make a (day/night/weekend etc.) of it

to spend a whole day, night, weekend etc. somewhere, instead of only a short time, so that you can enjoy it more

e.g. We decided to go on to a club after the show and really make a night of it.

make as if to do sth

to make a movement which makes people think you are going to do a particular thing

e.g. She made as if to reach for the gun.

make do

to manage to live without things you would like to have or with things of a worse quality than you would like

e.g. When we got married we didn’t have any cupboards. We had to make do with wooden boxes.

make do and mend

to manage with less than you would like, by repairing old things instead of buying new ones.

e.g. Our family never had any new furniture. We just had to make do and mend.

make it

1. to manage to arrive at a place or go to an event
   e.g. We’re having a party on Saturday - can you make it?

2. to be successful, especially in a job
   e.g. She hasn’t got a hope of making it as a dancer.

3. to stay alive
   e.g. She was losing so much blood, I really thought she wasn’t going to make it.

make it up to sb

to do sth good for sb who have done sth bad in the past, or to sb who has done sth good for you

e.g. I know I’ve behaved badly and I’ve upset you but I’ll make it up to you, I promise.

make it with sb

to have sex with sb

e.g. So what happened after the party? Did she make it with him?

make or brake sth
be make or brake for sb/sth
make-or-brake

to make sth a success or a failure

e.g. TV will either make or break courtroom justice in this country
e.g. The Milan show will be make or break for his new designs.
e.g. It’s make-or-break time for Britain’s tennis players.

be on the make

if a person is on the make, they are trying to get money or power in a way which is not pleasant or honest

e.g. I wouldn’t trust him - he’s always on the make.

Do you want to make sth of it?

sth that you say to sb who disagrees with you in order to threaten them and offer fight them

e.g. - That’s my beer you’re drinking. - Do you want to make sth of it?

put the make on sb

to try to have sex with sb

e.g. Was that idiot at the party trying yo put the make on you?

meet your maker

to die

e.g. Im afraid Zoe’s rabbit is no more. He’s gone to meet his maker.