make (redirected from makes up)

(It) makes no difference to me. and (It) makes me no difference.; (It) makes me no nevermind.; (It) don't make me no nevermind.

Inf. I really do not care, one way or the other. (The first one is standard, the others are colloquial.) Bill: Mind if I sit here? Tom: Makes no difference to me. Bill: What would you say if I ate the last piece of cake? Bob: Don't make me no nevermind.

See also: difference

A good husband makes a good wife. and A good Jack makes a good Jill.

Prov. If a husband or man wants his wife or girlfriend to be respectful and loving to him, he should be respectful and loving to her. Don't blame your wife for being short-tempered with you; you've been so unpleasant to her lately. A good husband makes a good wife.

See also: good, wife

A heavy purse makes a light heart.

Prov. If you have plenty of money, you will feel happy and secure. Everyone in the office is especially cheerful on payday, since a heavy purse makes a light heart.

See also: heart, heavy, light, purse

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Prov. You will like someone or something better if that person or thing is far away. Ever since Carla's boyfriend moved away, she can't stop thinking about him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

See also: absence, grow, heart

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Prov. It is not healthy for someone to work all the time and never play. (Often used to exhort someone to stop working, or to justify why you have stopped working. You can substitute the name of the person you are addressing for Jack.) Don't come to the office this weekend. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I'd like to take a week's vacation next month. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

See also: and, boy, dull, jack, play, work

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Prov. Going to bed early and waking up early is good for success. Grandmother: I don't think it's good for you to be staying out so late, dear. Early to bed and early to rise—Grandson: Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Yeah, Grandma, I know. Host: Don't leave so soon! The party's just beginning. Guest: It's past my bedtime, I'm afraid. Host: Early to bed, early to rise, huh?

See also: and, bed, early, man, wise

Good seed makes a good crop.

Prov. Starting with good materials will help you get good results. Jill: Elsie and Jim are going to have a baby. Jane: I'm sure it will be a good child, since they're both such good people. Good seed makes a good crop. I am sure Robert's business will flourish. He's capable and honest, and good seed makes a good crop.

See also: crop, good, seed

Haste makes waste.

Prov. You do not save any time by working too fast; hurrying will cause you to make mistakes, and you will have to take extra time to do the job over again. Fred: Hurry up and get my car fixed. Alan: Don't rush me. Haste makes waste.

See also: haste, waste

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, and Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.

Prov. If you have to wait a long time for something you want, you will become despairing. (Biblical.) Charlie waited so long for the woman he loved that he decided he didn't want to love anybody. Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

See also: heart, hope, sick

light purse makes a heavy heart

Prov. If you do not have enough money, you will worry and be unhappy. Nathan is a cheerful person by nature, but since he lost his job, worry has made him glum. A light purse makes a heavy heart.

See also: heart, heavy, light, purse

Love makes the world go round.

Prov. Life is more pleasant when people treat each other lovingly. Come on, guys, stop fighting with each other all the time. Love makes the world go round.

See also: love, round, world

Might makes right.

Prov. Cliché The stronger of two opponents will always control the situation. Child: How come the country with the biggest army always tells the other countries what to do? Father: Might makes right.

See also: might, right

old poacher makes the best gamekeeper

Prov. The best person to guard something is someone who knows all about how to steal it, so he or she can anticipate what thieves might do. We should hire the computer hacker to design computer security systems. An old poacher makes the best gamekeeper.

See also: best, gamekeeper, old, poacher

Opportunity makes a thief.

Prov. Anyone would steal, given a chance to do so without being punished. Mr. Cooper thought of himself as a moral man. But opportunity makes a thief, and with the safe unguarded he had the opportunity to steal thousands of dollars undetected.

See also: opportunity, thief

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

Prov. People who would normally dislike and avoid one another will work together if they think it is politically useful to do so. Jill: I never would have thought that genteel, aristocratic candidate would pick such a rabble-rousing, rough-mannered running mate. Jane: Politics makes strange bedfellows.

See also: bedfellow, politics, strange

Practice makes perfect.

Prov. Cliché Doing something over and over again is the only way to learn to do it well. Jill: I'm not going to try to play the piano anymore. I always make so many mistakes. Jane: Don't give up. Practice makes perfect. Child: How come you're so good at peeling potatoes? Father: I did it a lot in the army, and practice makes perfect.

See also: perfect, practice

still tongue makes a wise head

Prov. If you are wise, you do not talk very much.; You should only speak when you have judged that it is appropriate to do so. Don't chatter about whatever comes to your mind. A still tongue makes a wise head. Kathy really offended Mr. Parker by talking so much about his ex-wife. She needs to learn that a still tongue makes a wise head.

See also: head, still, tongue, wise

That makes two of us.

Inf. The same is true for me. So you're going to the football game? That makes two of us. Bill: I just passed my biology test. Bob: That makes two of us!

See also: two

what makes someone tick

Fig. something that motivates someone; something that makes someone behave in a certain way. (Fig. on what makes something tick.) William is sort of strange. I don't know what makes him tick. When you get to know people, you find out what makes them tick.

See also: tick

what makes something tick

Fig. the sense or mechanism that makes something run or function. (With reference to the ticking of a clock representing the functioning of the clock.) I don't know what makes it tick. I took apart the radio to find out what made it tick.

See also: tick

What makes you think so? 

1. Lit. Why do you think that?; What is your evidence for that conclusion? Tom: This bread may be a little old. Alice: What makes you think so? Tom: The green spots on the edges. Bob: Congress is in session again. Tom: What makes you think so? Bob: My wallet's empty.

2. Inf. Is that not totally obvious? (Sarcastic.) John: I think I'm putting on a little weight. Mary: Oh, yeah? What makes you think so? Mary (shivering): Gee, I think it's going to be winter soon. Sally (also shivering): Yeah? What makes you think so?

See also: think

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

something that you say which means being apart from someone that you love makes you love them even more 'My boyfriend's going to South America and I won't see him for six months.' 'Ah well, absence makes the heart grow fonder.'

See also: absence, grow, heart

might is right  (British, American & Australian) also might makes right (American)

the belief that you can do what you want because you are the most powerful person or country To allow this invasion to happen will give a signal to every petty dictator that might is right.

See also: might, right

Practice makes perfect.

something that you say which means if you do something many times you will learn to do it very well You can't expect to become a brilliant dancer overnight, but practice makes perfect.

See also: perfect, practice

That makes two of us.

something that you say in order to tell someone that you are in the same unpleasant situation, or have the same negative feelings as them 'I found his talk really boring.' 'That makes two of us!'

See also: two

what makes somebody tick

if you know what makes someone tick, you understand the reasons for their behaviour and personality A good salesperson knows what makes a customer tick.

See also: tick

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what makes somebody tick

the reasons why someone behaves the way they do The admiral was interested in people, what made them tick and what influenced their behavior.

See also: tick