Alphabetical List of Idioms - M

(Idioms M, page 1 :  mad as a hatter  → make an exhibition of)

mad as a hatter To say that someone is as mad as a hatter means

that they are very strange or insane.
The old lady next door is as mad as a hatter.  She says
the strangest things!
made of money A person who is made of money is very rich and
can buy whatever they want.
Hey! I can't afford that much. I'm not made of money!
make an ass of If you behave so stupidly that you appear ridiculous,
yourself you make an ass of yourself. 
Tom made an ass of himself by singing a love song
outside Laura's door!
make a beeline If you make a beeline for something, you hurry
for directly towards it.
They were so hot and thirsty they made a beeline for the
cool drinks.
make a big If you attach a lot of importance to something, or
thing of make it a special occasion, you make a big thing of
it.
It's Jack's birthday but he doesn't want to make a big
thing of it, so please don't mention it.
make the best If you make the best of things, you react in a
of things positive way to an unsatisfactory situation that you
cannot change and do the best you can with it.
The apartment was badly located, but the rent was low,
so they decided to make the best of things.
make blood If something makes your blood boil, it makes you
boil really angry.
His condescending attitude made my blood boil!
make blood run If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks or
cold scares you a lot.
The look in the prisoner's eye made my blood run cold!
make no bones If you make no bones about something, you don't
about hesitate to say something in a frank and open way.
something I made no bones about it.   I told him his offer was
unacceptable.
make or break Circumstances or events that will make or
break someone or something will cause either total
 success or total ruin.
The assignment will make or break his career.
make cold calls If you make cold calls, you telephone potential
customers from a list of people you do now know.
In my first job I had to make cold calls using the
telephone directory.
make a When someone makes a comeback, they succeed
comeback in returning to their former successful career.
After devoting several years to her children, she made a
comeback on Broadway.
make the cut If you make the cut, you reach a required standard
or succeed in passing from one round of a
competition to another.
After intensive training, Sarah made the cut and joined
the team.
make If something makes your ears burn, you are
your ears burn embarrassed by what you hear, especially if the
conversation is about you.
The comments I overheard made my ears burn.
make ends If you find it difficult to pay for your everyday needs
meet because you have very little money, it is hard for
you to make ends meet.
Anne's salary is so low that she finds hard to make ends
meet.
make When someone behaves in such a foolish way in
exhibition of public that they look ridiculous, they make an
exhibition of themselves.
Get down off the table Fred!  You're making an
exhibition of yourself!

make flesh/skin Something that makes your flesh (or skin) crawl fills

crawl you with disgust or makes you feel very nervous.
Just talking about snakes makes my flesh crawl!
make a go of When you make a go of something, you succeed in
your enterprise or produce good results.
He opened a restaurant and worked hard to make a go
of it.
make hair stand If you are absolutely terrified of something, it makes
on end your hair stand on end.
 Just the thought of getting on a plane makes my hair
stand on end.
make hackles If someone or something makes your hackles
rise rise, they make you angry.
Her constant criticism really makes my hackles rise!
make hay while This expression is used as an encouragement to
the sun shines take advantage of a good situation which may not
last.
Successful athletes are advised to make hay while the
sun shines.
make headway If you make headway, you make progress in what
you are trying to achieve.
Investigators have made little headway in their search
for the causes of the catastrophe.
make inroads If someone or something makes inroads, for
example in a new field or area, they advance
successfully or make progress.
Foreign cars have made inroads into the European
market.
make a killing If you say that someone has made a killing you
mean that they have had great financial success.
He made a killing on the stock market.
make light of If you make light of something, you behave as
though it is less serious than it really is.
He won several awards for his work but he made light 
of it when the subject was mentioned.
make light work If a person makes light work of something, they do
of it very easily or with little effort.
The boys made light work of the cleaning up.  The house
was spotless in no time.
make If you make mincemeat of someone or something,
mincemeat of you completely and utterly defeat or destroy them.
A good lawyer would make mincemeat of your rival's
accusations.
make a mint If someone makes a mint, they make a large
amount of money.
They made a mint selling hamburgers outside the
football stadium.
make a monkey If you humiliate someone by making them appear
out of ridiculous or foolish, you make a monkey (out) of
that person.
That's enough teasing.  Don't make a monkey out of
him.
make a If someone makes a mountain out of a
mountain out of molehill, they make a small, unimportant problem
a molehill seem much more serious than it is.
Stop making mountains out of molehills!  It's not a
major problem.
make mouth Food can make your mouth water when it looks
water and smells extremely good.
That delicious smell from the kitchen is making my
mouth water.
make no bones If you make no bones about something, you don't
about hesitate to say what you think in a frank and open
way.
I made no bones about it.  I told him his offer was
unacceptable.
make nothing of If you make nothing of something, you attach no
importance to it.
I took him an hour to walk to the station but he made
nothing of it.

(can't) make an This expression means that it is impossible to

omelette make important changes without causing some
without ... unpleasant effects.
Some people will lose their jobs after the merger but
you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
make a pig of If you make a pig of yourself, you eat and drink too
much.
Watch what you eat - don't make a pig of yourself!
make a pig's ear If you make a  pig's ear of something, you do a
of 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.
make a point of 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.
make right If you make the right noises, you behave as if you
noises 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.
make sense of If you make sense of something, you understand it
or find the meaning.
I couldn't make sense of the instructions.
make short If you make short work of something, you do it or
work of finish it quickly.
The players were hungry after the match so they made
short work of the food.
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!
make someone If you make someone see reason, you persuade
see reason 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.
make a song If someone complains in an annoying way or
and dance 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!
make up for lost If you make up for lost time, you increase your
time 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.
make your way If you make your way to a destination, you manage
to to get there without difficulty.
Don't worry. I'll make my way to your home from the
station.
make yourself If you make yourself scarce, you leave a place in
scarce order to avoid an embarrassing situation.
When Mark and Laura started to argue, I decided to
make myself scarce.
off the mark If something is off the mark, it is incorrect or
inaccurate.
His estimation of the cost was completely off the mark.
find/meet If you find or meet your match, you encounter
yourmatch someone who is equal to you in skills or abilities.
Barry is an excellent tennis player, but he met his match
in William.

matter of time If you say that it is only or just a matter of

time before (or until) something happens, it is
certain to happen or will inevitably take place,
although you do not know when.
Restrictive measures will have to be introduced.  It's
just a matter of time.
for that matter This term is used to add something that is also
true.
She refuses to fly, and she won't travel by train
either for that matter.
mean business If someone means business, they are serious
about what they announce.
The boss says that in future any missing material
will be reported to the police, and he looks as
though he means business.
taste of one's own If you give someone a taste of their own
medicine medicine, you treat them in the same
unpleasant way that they have treated you.
People who always late should be given a taste of
their own medicine.
meet halfway If you meet someone half way, you accept to
make a compromise and give them part of what
they are trying to obtain.
We can't agree to all your conditions but we could
perhaps agree to meet half-way.
meet your maker This expression is used to say (often
humorously) that someone has died.
Poor old Mr. Potter has gone to meet his maker.
meet-and-greet This term refers to a reception (often informal)
where a public figure or important person can
introduce themselves and talk to the guests.
The new mayor is going to schedule a meet-and-
 greet reception for the residents.
megaphone If the media, through press releases, interviews
diplomacy and announcements, is instrumental in
facilitating dialogue between two or more
countries, this is called megaphone diplomacy.
memory/brain like Someone who has a memory (or brain) like a
a sieve sieve has a very bad memory and forgets
things easily.
Oh, I forgot to buy the bread - I've got a brain like a
sieve these days!
if memory serves If your memory serves you well, you remember
well correctly or you have not forgotten any details.
You're Stella's daughter, if my memory serves me
well.
trip If you take a trip (stroll or walk) down memory
down memorylane lane, you remember pleasant things that
happened in the past.
Every Christmas is a trip down memory for the
family when our parents take out the photograph
albums.
on the mend Someone who is on the mend is getting better
after an illness.
My grandmother hasn't been very well lately but
she's on the mend now.
method in This expression means that someone's
madness behaviour is not as irrational as it seems.
He's efficient despite his strange way of working;
there's method in his madness!
middle of nowhere If a place is in the middle of nowhere, it is in a
remote area, far from towns, villages or houses.
The campsite was in the middle of nowhere so I
couldn't send you a postcard.
middle of the road This term refers to anything moderate,
(MOR) unadventurous or inoffensive that avoids
extremes and appeals to the majority of people.
He's a successful middle-of-the-road entertainer.
My mother wouldn't miss a show!

smack dab in If something is smack dab in the middle, it is

themiddle right in the centre.
I couldn't hide the stain on my shirt.  It was smack
dab in the middle.
burn A person who burns the midnight oil stays up
the midnight oil very late at night in order to finish a piece of
work.
Tony is working hard for his exams.  He's been
burning the midnight oil all week.
might is right This saying expresses the belief that being the
most powerful person or country gives you the
right to do whatever you want.
There are many leaders today who believe that
might is right.
milk of human Someone who has, or is full of, the milk of
kindness human kindness, is naturally kind and
compassionate to others.
She's a wonderful person - full of the milk of human
kindness.
go/put through If you go (or are put) through the mill, you
themill experience a very difficult period, or are exposed
to rough treatment.
When I was an intern, I was put through the mill. 
Nothing went unnoticed.
look/feel like If you look or feel like a million dollars, you look
amillion dollars or feel extremely good.
With a tan and a new hairstyle, she looked like a
million dollars.
millstone around Something described as a millstone around your
neck neck refers to a problem or responsibility that
becomes a burden and a source of worry.
The money he borrowed became a millstone around
his neck.
(not) mince words Someone who does not mince their
words expresses their opinions, ideas or
thoughts very clearly, even if they offend others
by doing so.
Come on John!  Tell us what you really think - and
don't mince your words.
mind over matter The mental power to influence one's body and
overcome physical difficulties is said to be a
question of mind over matter.
 He know he could not be cured, but he managed to
live until the baby was born - a case of mind over
matter.
mind of your own If you have a mind of your own, you are capable
of forming an opinion and making decisions
without being influenced by others.
The boy doesn't need any advice; he's got a mind of
his own.
the mind boggles The expression 'the mind boggles' is used as a
reaction to something that you find amazing or
difficult to understand.
She crossed the Atlantic alone - can you imagine? -
the mind boggles!
cross your mind If an idea or thought crosses your mind, you
suddenly think of it.
It has just crossed my mind that the shops are closed
today.
have you gone If you ask someone if they have gone out of
out of your mind? their mind, you think they are crazy, foolish or
insane.
You're going to ask for a 100% salary increase? Have
you gone out of your mind?
mind your own Telling someone to mind their own business is
business!  (rude) a (rude) way of saying that they are too
interested in what others are doing, or that
they are interfering in something that does not
concern them.
Don't tell me what to do - just mind your own
business!
mind/watch your This is said to warn someone to be careful what
language they say so as not to upset or offend anyone.
Your grandfather doesn't tolerate rudeness, so mind
your language when we go to visit him!
mind your Ps and If you tell someone to mind their Ps and Qs, you
Qs are advising them to be careful about how they
behave and what they say.
Politeness is very important to my grandparents, so
mind your Ps and Qs.

in If you can visualize something, or see an image

one's mind's eye of it in your mind, you see it in your mind's eye.
I can see the village in my mind's eye but I can't
remember the name.
in two minds If you are in two minds about something, you
have difficulty deciding what to do.
I'm in two minds about whether or not to accept the
offer.
(not) in To say that someone is not in their right
right mind mind means that they are not behaving in a
logical or sensible way.
Emily wasn't in her right mind the day she bought
that outfit.  It doesn't suit her at all!
one-track mind If you have a one-track mind, you have a
tendency to think about only one subject.
The boy has a one-track mind; all he thinks about is
football!
mint condition Something that is in mint condition is in such
perfect condition that it looks new or as good as
new.
The car is 10 years old but according to Tom it's in
mint condition.
miss the boat If you miss the boat, you fail to take advantage of
an opportunity because you don't act quickly
enough.
I managed to get my order through before the end of
the special offer - but I nearly missed th boat!
miss the point If you miss the point you fail to understand the
essential part of what has been said.
Sam missed the point.  It's not the job that's the
problem, it's the amount of work it involves for one
person.
(not) miss a trick If a person never misses a trick, they are very
alert and aware of everything that is happening
around them.
The old lady next door will know if Bill is there or not -
she never misses a trick!
mix business When people mix business with pleasure, they
with pleasure combine work and leisure or social activities.
Seminars or training sessions that include leisure
activities are a good way of mixing business and
 pleasure.
mixed blessing Something pleasant which also has
disadvantages is called a mixed blessing.
He inherited as 18th century mansion but the
maintenance costs make it a mixed blessing.
mixed feelings When you have mixed feelings about something,
you react to it with conflicting emotions; you are
happy and unhappy at the same time.
I had mixed feelings about leaving the company. I was
excited about my new job but sad to be leaving my
colleagues.
moment of truth A critical or decisive time when you face the
reality of a situation, and find out if your efforts
have succeeded, is called the moment of truth.
The moment of truth has arrived - I'm going to serve
my first soufflé!
money burns a To say that money burns a hole in somebody's
hole in your pocket means that they are eager to spend it
pocket quickly or extravagantly.
As soon as she's paid she goes shopping. Money burns
a hole in her pocket!
money to burn People who have money to burn have so much
money that they can spend it on anything they
want.
A leather jacket is no problem for Sarah. She's got
money to burn!
money for jam A very easy way of earning money is
called money for jam.
All you've got to do is hand out brochures.  It's money
for jam!
money for old Money earned from a task that requires very little
rope effort is calledmoney for old rope.
Getting paid for watering the garden is money for old
rope!

money doesn't To say that money doesn't grow on

grow on trees trees means that it is not plentiful or easily
obtained.
Watch how you spend your money Alex. It doesn't
grow on trees you know!
money laundering When people launder money, they manage to
conceal the source of illegally-obtained money
so that it is believed to be legitimate.
Certain countries have been accused of facilitating
money laundering.
more money than If you have more money than sense, you have
sense a lot of money which you waste by spending it
in a foolish manner.
He celebrated the birth of the baby by buying a
sports car. He's got more money than sense!
put money where If you put your money where your mouth is, not
mouth is only do you express your interest, you give
financial support to causes that you believe in.
If people are really interested in helping the
underprivileged, they should put their money where
their mouth is.
rake in the money If you rake in the money, you make money in
large quantities.
Bob's business is so successful, he's raking in the
money.
see colour of If you want to see the colour of somebody's
someone's money money, you want to be sure that the person in
question has enough money to pay you before
you accept to do something.
I want to see the colour of his money before
shipping the goods.
money spinner If an activity is a money spinner, it is a very
successful way of making money.
Washing cars was quite a money spinner when I
was a student.
money talks Money talks means that people with a lot of
money have power and influence.
The owner is a millionaire and he's influential -
money talks!
throw money at If you throw money at something, you try to
solve a problem by spending money on it,
without using any other methods.
The refugee problem cannot be solved just by
throwing money at it.
throw Someone who spends additional money on
good moneyafter something that was already considered a bad
bad investment is said to throw good money after
bad.
Buying a second-hand computer and then spending
money to have it repaired is throwing good money
after bad!
your money's If you get your money's worth, you receive
worth good value for the amount of money you spend.
We bought a travel pass to use the public transport
system and we really got our money's worth.
monkey business An activity which is organized in a deceitful or
dishonest way is called monkey business.
The results announced seem suspicious - I think
there's some monkey business going on.
month of Sundays This expression is an amusing way of referring
to a very long period of time.
I haven't been to the theatre in a month of Sundays.
over the moon If you are over the moon about something, you
are very happy about it.
When she heard the results of the exam, Caroline
was over the moon!
once in a Something that happens once in a blue
blue moon moon happens rarely or hardly ever.
She doesn't contact us very often.  We hear from
her once in a blue moon!

reach for If you reach for the moon, you are very ambitious

the moon and try to achieve something even it it is difficult.
Jenny is talented and ambitious; she always tends to
reach for the moon.
moonlight flit Someone who does a moonlight flit leaves a place
quickly and in secret, usually to avoid paying
debts.
Just before the rent was due he did a moonlight flit.
moot point A subject which gives rise to argument or debate is
called a moot point.
Whether Bach composed it himself or not is a moot
point among musicians.
more by Something which happens more by accident than
accident than (by) design is  done without deliberate intention.
(by) design I became an interpreter more by accident than design;
nobody else could speak the language of the refugees.
more fun than a If something is very amusing or enjoyable, you can
barrel of say that it ismore fun than a barrel of monkeys. 
monkeys The TV quiz was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
more heat than If a discussion or debate generates more heat
light than light, it causes anger or intense reaction but
doesn't clarify anything.
The meeting that was held to discuss the problem
generated more heat than light!
more than When something is more complicated, difficult or
meets the eye interesting than
it appears, it is said that there is more (to it) than
meets the eye. 
He said that he had simply sold his shares, but I think
there's more to it than meets the eye.
more power to This is said to express praise or encouragement to
elbow someone for doing something.
"I've left my job and I'm going to work free-lance from
now on."
"Well, more power to  you!"
mouse potato This term refers to a person who spends a lot of
time in front of the computer.
My son and his friends are all mouse potatoes -
constantly glued to the computer!
all mouth and This is said of someone who talks a lot about doing
no trousers something but never actually does it.
He keeps saying he's going to resign and travel around
the world, but he's all mouth and no trousers.
butter wouldn't If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn't
melt in mouth melt in their mouth, you mean that they look
completely innocent, but that they are capable of
doing unpleasant things.
The boy who stole the purse looked as if butter
wouldn't melt in his mouth.
say a mouthful If you make an important or lengthy remark,
you say a mouthful.
The customer said a mouthful when he gave the reason
for his dissatisfaction.
move the During a course of action, if someone moves the
goalposts goalposts they change the rules or conditions.
Our objectives have been set for next year. Let's hope
the boss doesn't move the goalposts halfway through.
move heaven To say that you will move heaven and earth means
and earth that you are prepared to do everything that is
possible to achieve something.
I promise I will move heaven and earth to get a work
permit for you.

move in same When people move in the same circles, they

circles socialize with others who have a similar
background, interests or lifestyle.
I've never met the Duchess personally. We don't move
in the same circles!
move up in the A person who moves up in the world becomes
world more important in society or successful in their
career.
Rachel Jones has moved up in the world since we were
kids.
movers and The term movers and shakers refers to people in
shakers power who take an active part in making things
happen.
Mover and shakers  are assembling in Brussels for the
summit.
much of a This expression means 'very similar' or 'almost
muchness alike'.
It's hard to choose between the two - they're much of
a muchness really.
much ado about If people make much ado about nothing, they
nothing make a lot of fuss about something which is not
important.
A discussion took place about the colour of the
receptionist's shoes - much ado about nothing!
much obliged Some people use this expression to say that they
are very grateful.
"It's raining Mr. Brown - take my umbrella."  "Much
obliged."
as much use as This expression refers to something which is
a handbrake on completely useless or serves no purpose.
a canoe With no electricity, a refrigerator would be as much
 use as a handbrake on a canoe!
muddy the If you muddy the waters, you make something
waters less clear by giving confusing information.
I had difficulty understanding, and Alan's explanation
just muddied the waters!
mug's game An unprofitable or ill-advised activity that only a
fool (mug) would do is called a mug's game.
Spending hours making home-made cakes for a few
customers is a mug's game.
mum's the word To say 'mum's the word' means that the subject
or plan is a secret and must not be revealed.
We're organizing a surprise birthday party, so mum's
the work - OK?
murder If you say that you could murder something, such
something as food or drink, you mean that you want it very
much.
I'm so hot and thirsty I could murder a cool drink!
be murder If something is murder, it is very difficult or
uncomfortable.
The journey home through the storm was absolute
murder!
get away Someone who gets away with murder can do
withmurder something unacceptable without being punished
or criticized.
Some parents let their kids get away with murder.
murphy's law Referring to Murphy's law expresses a sentiment
of bad luck and the idea that if anything can go
wrong, it will.
We've tried to prepare for every possible incident, but
remember Murphy's law ...!
face the music If you have to face the music, you have to accept
the unpleasant consequences of your actions.
He was caught stealing. Now he has to face the music!
music to one's If something is music to your ears, the information
ears that you receive makes you feel very happy.
His compliments were music to my ear.
mutton dressed This expression refers to a middle-aged woman
as lamb who tries to look younger by dressing in clothes
designed for younger people.
 The style doesn't suit her - it has a mutton-dressed-as-
lamb effect on her!
my way or If you say to someone 'it's my way or the
highway highway', you are telling them that either they
accept to do as you say or they leave the project.
You don't have much choice when someone says: 'it's
my way or the highway.'!