use (redirected from made use)

be no good/use to man or beast (humorous)

to not be useful at all. This bike has got two flat tyres - it's no use to man or beast.

See also: beast, good, man

a fat lot of good/use (informal)

not helpful or useful. She can't lift anything heavy, so she's a fat lot of use! 'I'm going to tell him exactly what I think of him.' 'A fat lot of good that'll do you!'

See also: fat, good, lot

It's no good/use crying over spilt milk.

something that you say which means you should not get upset about something bad that has happened that you cannot change. Sometimes I regret not taking that job in London. Oh well, there's no point crying over spilt milk.

See also: crying, good, it's, milk, over

turn/use something to good account (formal)

to use something to produce good results. She turned her natural curiosity to good account by becoming a detective.

See also: account, good, turn

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut (British & Australian)

to do something with more force than is necessary to achieve the result you want. Sending ten men to arrest one small boy was a clear case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

See also: crack, nut

Use your loaf. (British & Australian, old-fashioned)

if you tell someone to use their loaf, you are telling them in a slightly angry way that they should think more carefully about what they are doing. You haven't even switched the thing on. Come on, Jamie, use your loaf!

See also: loaf

---

have no use for someone/something

to have a very low opinion of someone or something. To my mother, my friends were simply a bunch of bums, and she had no use for them. He has no use for gossip, which he thinks is a waste of time.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of have no use for something (= to not be able to use something)

it's no use

there is no reason to. It's no use asking me about it because I don't know anything. There's no use resisting someone so much stronger than you are.

See also: it's

use up something

to use all of something so that none of it is left. New ink cartridges often cost $25 to $35 each and can be used up quickly if you print a lot of photos. Many seniors quickly use up their money on prescription drugs. She gets three weeks of vacation but she uses it up before the year was half over.