To make (or take) it up, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be reconciled
after a quarrel.
1598. Shakspeare, Merchant of Venice, v. 4, 103. I knew when seven
justices could not make up a quarrel.
To make mouths, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To jeer; to grin.
To make ends meet, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate. For synonyms see
Greens and Ride.
To make hay, verb. phr. (common).—To tumble; to confuse; to disorder.
1863. H. Kingsley, Austin Elliot, ch. xiii. His usual holiday
amusements were these—to interrupt his sister’s lessons as much as
possible, and in the absence of the governess, to (as he called it)
make hay in the school-room.
To make meat of, verb. phr. (American).—To kill.
1841. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 3. Poor Bill Bent! them
Spaniards made meat of him.
To make a house, verb. phr. (Parliamentary).—To gather a quorum (40
members).
1864. The Spectator, p. 529. Nobody played marplot, but the
division revealed the absence of a quorum, and a bill which
interests all capitalists, and will before long interest every
taxpayer, was interrupted by mere official carelessness as to
making a house.
As good (bad, hot, drunk, etc.) as they make them, phr. (common).—As
good, bad, etc. as may be.
187[?]. Broadside Ballad, ‘As good as they make ’em’ [Title].
1889. Modern Society, 12 Oct., p. 1265, col. 2. About a dozen yards
in, I think you said, and the tide coming in about as fast as they
make it. Ibid. p. 1267, col. 2. The couple were engaged to be
married, and Miss King, who seems to be as sentimental as Americans
are made, suggested that they should carry out the marriage
ceremony in Greenwood Cemetery.
1889. Bird o’ Freedom, 7 Aug., p. 3. On reaching the party it was
evident that one of the Frenchmen was, not to put too fine a point
on it, about as drunk as they make ’em. He opened the campaign by
asking us to have a drink with him. Of course, he spoke in French.
1890. G. Allen, The Tents of Shem, iii. I like them; thorough
ladies, and well brought up, and as clever as they make them.
1894. George Moore, Esther Waters, xvii. You are as strong as they
make ’em.
Make him swim for it, phr. (American thieves’).—See quot.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Make him swim for it. Cheat him out
of his share.
See also Back; bacon; Bates; beef; blue; bones; books; buttons;
children’s shoes; clean breast; clean sweep; clink; crimson;
ducks-and-drakes; face; feather; figure; fish; flash; fool; fun;
fur; good; hair; hand; hare; hash; hay; honest woman; kiss; leg;
lip; long-arm; lucky; man; meal; meat; mouth; night; pile; play;
point; Queen Anne’s fan; raise; running; scarce; show; splash;
split; stand; things; tracks; turkey-merchant; two come; Virginia
fence; water; whack; whole cloth; woman; etc. etc.
Makepeace, subs. (old).—See quot. For synonyms see Toko.
1657. Cole, Adam in Eden. It [the birch] is useful for the
punishment of children, both at home and at school, for it hath an
admirable influence on them when they are out of order, and
therefore some call it makepeace.
Maker, subs. (American).—A tailor; a pricklouse (q.v.). For synonyms
see Snip. Span. picapiojos.
1833. Neal, Down Easters, v. 63. ‘Who’s your maker?’ ‘My maker!—Oh!
I understand you, my tailor you mean?’ ‘Yes—who made your coat?’
Makeshift, subs. (old).—A thief. For synonyms see Thieves.
1584. A Mirour for Magistrates of Cyties, fol. 33 (back). London is
sore charged with these makeshiftes.
Makesures, subs. (potmen’s).—Petty pilferings; fluff (q.v.); cabbage
(q.v.). Fr. la gratte.
Make-up, subs. (theatrical).—1. The arrangement of an actor’s face and
dress. See to make up, sense 1. Make-up box = a box of materials—rouge,
sponges, grease-paint, and the like—used in making-up.
1870. Figaro, 25 Nov. ‘A Dream of the Kow.’ An elderly
gentleman—who is seventy if he is a day, but wishes to pass himself
off for—let us be charitable and say—half his real age. Certainly,
his make-up is wonderfully good.
1876. G. Eliot, Daniel Deronda, iii. The sort of professional
make-up which penetrates skin, tones, and gestures, and defies all
drapery.
1879. Dickens, Dict. of London, s.v. ‘Private Theatricals’. For
wigs and make-up the amateur may depend upon Mr. Clarkson, of
Wellington-street.
1882. Daily Telegraph, 22 Feb. ‘The success of the idea was
prejudiced by the make-up, for though there was hideousness in the
eyes, the lower part of the face of the new Caliban was anything
but unprepossessing.’
1883. G. A. Sala, Echoes of the Year, 362. Her make-up was so
terrifically weird and ghastly.
1889. Academy, 6 July, p. 14. Mr. Somerset, who makes up badly for
the part of the father, unless it is, as it may be, very clever to
suggest by make-up, a character wholly artificial etc.
1889. Globe, 11 Feb. The arrangement of paunch and limb and the
make-up of the face are perfect.
1891. Sporting Life, 25 Mar. No more a type than those two
comedians at the Opera Comique are—thanks to the make-up and the
words they speak and warble.
2. (common).—A piece of deception; a barney (q.v.); gammon (q.v.);
humbug (q.v.); a take-in (q.v.).
Make-weight, subs. (old).—1. A small candle.—Grose (1785).