VOCABULARY - IDIOMS

Mad As A Box Of Frogs

Meaning: extremely mentally unstable; psychotic; detached from reality.

Mad as A Hatter

Meaning: Mentally ill, psychotic

Main Squeeze

Meaning: Committed romantic partner

Make a Break for It

Meaning: Try to escape, run off

Make a Mountain out of a Molehill

Meaning: To take something too seriously; to make too much of something

Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear

Meaning: Turn something ordinary or inferior into something refined and beautiful

Make Ends Meet

Meaning: Have enough money to cover basic expenses

Make Hay (While the Sun Shines)

Meaning: To take advantage of an opportunity at the right time.

Make Love

Meaning: To have sexual intercourse

Make Nice

Meaning: Act cordial despite conflict

Make One’s Mark

Meaning: Attain influence or recognition

Make Someone’s Day

Meaning: Do something pleasing that puts someone in a good mood

Make Waves

Meaning: Cause controversy, disturb a calm group dynamic

Man Cave

Meaning: A part of the house, often the basement, that is left to the man of the household, perhaps with a workshop, a television for watching sports, etc.

March to the Beat of Your Own Drum

Meaning: When someone does things the way they want to, without taking anybody else or anything else into consideration.

Match Made in Heaven

Meaning: A relationship in which the two people are great together, because they complement each other so well

May December

Meaning: Significantly different in age. Said of couples where one member is much older. The most common usage is May-December romance.

May-December Marriage

Meaning: A marriage between a younger and an older partner, typically a young woman and an old man.

Me Time

Meaning: Activities undertaken for one’s own enjoyment, free from responsibilities to others.

Meeting of the Minds

Meaning: Strong instinctive agreement on something

Mend Fences

Meaning: Improve relations after a dispute

Mind One’s P’s and Q’s

Meaning: Be attentive to details; be on one’s best behavior

Miss the Boat

Meaning: Be too late for something; miss an opportunity

Monday Morning Quarterback

Meaning: Someone who offers criticisms or comments after already knowing the outcome of something

Month of Sundays

Meaning: A long time, many months

More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys

Meaning: A very good time; a pleasant occasion

Mother Nature

Meaning: The natural world

Move Heaven and Earth

Meaning: Take all possible steps in trying to accomplish something

Move the Needle

Meaning: To make a significant difference or impact on something.

Move Up in the World

Meaning: Become more successful

Movers and Shakers

Meaning: Influential people, especially in a particular field

Much Of A Muchness

Meaning: Essentially equal, not significantly different (said of a choice)

Mum’s the Word

Meaning: This is secret; don’t talk about this. Often used as an answer to a request not to talk about something.

Music to My Ears

Meaning: Good to hear; welcome news

Mutton Dressed Up as Lamb

Meaning: A woman who dresses in a style appropriate to someone of a younger age

My Dogs Are Barking

Meaning: My feet hurt.

My Old Man, My Old Lady

Meaning: My spouse

My Way or the Highway

Meaning: If you do not do things the way I want or require, then you can just leave or not participate.

Make or break

Meaning: To cause (someone or something) to either succeed or fail; to cause either a positive or negative outcome (for someone or something)