making

have the makings of something

Fig. to possess the qualities that are needed for something. The young boy had the makings of a fine baseball player. My boss has all the makings of a prison warden.

See also: have

How is someone making out?

How is someone doing?; How is someone surviving or getting along? How are you making out since your retirement?

See also: how

in the making

in development; in the process of developing. This is a real problem in the making. Let's try to keep it from getting any worse.

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be a [athlete/star/writer etc.] in the making

if someone is an athlete, star, writer etc. in the making, they are likely to develop into that thing This young swimmer is an athlete in the making.

be a [crisis/disaster etc.] in the making

if something is a crisis, disaster etc. in the making, it is likely to develop into that thing What we're witnessing here is a disaster in the making.

be of your own making

if an unpleasant situation is of your own making, you have caused it The problems she has with that child are all of her own making.

be the making of somebody

if you say that an event or experience was the making of someone, you mean that it made them develop good qualities (never in present tenses) A spell in the army will be the making of him! University was the making of her, because she was able to escape the influence of her family at last.

have (all) the makings of something

to seem likely to develop into something The story has all the makings of a first-class scandal. She has the makings of a great violinist.

See also: have

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have (all) the makings of something

to seem likely to develop into something I think we have the makings of a good team this year. This story has all the makings of a first-class scandal.

See also: have

history in the making

something very important that is happening now The broadcast gave a vivid account of medical history in the making.

See also: history

in the making

1. being created Her novel was ten years in the making, and not very successful.

2. in the process of happening It became clear that this was a disaster in the making and we had no way of coping with it.

of your own making

caused by your own mistakes He blames everybody else instead of admitting that this is a problem of his own making.