English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms M, page 3
Idioms M, page 3: from: 'can't make an omelette...' to: 'off the mark'
- (can't) make an omelette without breaking eggs
- This expression means that it is impossible to make
important changes without causing someunpleasant effects.
"Some people will lose their jobs after the merger but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."
- This expression means that it is impossible to make
important changes without causing someunpleasant effects.
- make a pig of yourself
- If you make a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too much.
"Watch what you eat - don't make a pig of yourself!"
- If you make a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too much.
- make a pig's ear of something
- If you make a pig's ear of something, you do a task
or a chore very badly or make a complete mess of it.
"Gary offered to paint the kitchen but he made a pig's ear of it."
- If you make a pig's ear of something, you do a task
or a chore very badly or make a complete mess of it.
- make a point of (doing something)
- If you make a point of doing something, you make an
effort to do what you think is the right thing to do.
"The singer made a point of thanking the musicians and the technicians."
- If you make a point of doing something, you make an
effort to do what you think is the right thing to do.
- make the right noises
- If you make the right noises, you behave as if you
support or agree with something by making suitable or conventional remarks.
"Sam seemed to approve of the idea; he certainly made all the right noises."
- If you make the right noises, you behave as if you
support or agree with something by making suitable or conventional remarks.
- make sense of (something)
- If you make sense of something, you understand it
or find the meaning.
"I couldn't make sense of the instructions."
- If you make sense of something, you understand it
or find the meaning.
- make short work of (something)
- If you make short work of something, you do it or
finish it quickly.
"The players were hungry after the match so they made short work of the food."
- If you make short work of something, you do it or
finish it quickly.
- make it snappy
- If someone tells you to make it snappy, they are
asking you very sharply to hurry up or be quick about something.
"Fetch me a bandage and make it snappy!"
- If someone tells you to make it snappy, they are
asking you very sharply to hurry up or be quick about something.
- make someone see reason
- If you make someone see reason, you persuade them
to stop acting foolishly and behave more sensibly.
"He wanted to drop out of medical school in his fourth year but his uncle managed to make him see reason."
- If you make someone see reason, you persuade them
to stop acting foolishly and behave more sensibly.
- make a song and dance about something
- If someone complains in an annoying way or becomes unnecessarily
excited about something unimportant, they make a song and dance about it.
"OK, you don't like carrots. Don't make a song and dance about it!"
- If someone complains in an annoying way or becomes unnecessarily
excited about something unimportant, they make a song and dance about it.
- make up for lost time
- If you make up for lost time, you increase your
efforts or work harder to complete something or meet a deadline.
"Progress has stopped because of bad weather, but we are determined to make up for lost time."
- If you make up for lost time, you increase your
efforts or work harder to complete something or meet a deadline.
- make your way to
- If you to a destination, you manage
to get there without difficulty.
"Don't worry. I'll make my way to your home from the station."
- If you to a destination, you manage
to get there without difficulty.
- make yourself scarce
- If you , you leave
a place in order to avoid an embarrassing situation.
"When Mark and Laura started to argue, I decided to make myself scarce."
- If you , you leave
a place in order to avoid an embarrassing situation.
- off the mark
- If something is off the mark, it is
incorrect or inaccurate.
"His estimation of the cost was completely off the mark."
- If something is off the mark, it is
incorrect or inaccurate.
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Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.