make (oneself) scarce
(redirected from make ourselves scarce)make (oneself) scarce
To leave, hide, or make oneself less visible, typically to avoid something. Lisa's fuming about your text message, so you better make yourself scarce until she calms down. Why is it that when there are chores to do, the kids somehow know to make themselves scarce?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
make oneself scarce
Fig. [for someone] to become difficult to find; [for someone to] go into hiding. Tom is mad and is looking for you. Better make yourself scarce. Make yourself scarce! Here comes the sheriff.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
make oneself scarce
Depart quickly, go away, as in The children saw Mrs. Frost coming and made themselves scarce. This idiom applies scarce in the sense of "seldom seen" to removing one's presence. [c. 1800]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
make yourself scarce
surreptitiously disappear; keep out of the way. informalFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
ˌmake yourself ˈscarce
(informal) leave the place you are in in order to avoid an embarrassing or difficult situation: I could see they wanted to be alone, so I made myself scarce.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
make oneself scarce
tv. to leave; to be in a place less frequently; to be less in evidence. Here come the boys in blue. I’d better make myself scarce.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
make (oneself) scarce
Informal1. To stay away; be absent or elusive.
2. To depart, especially quickly or furtively; abscond.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
- make oneself scarce
- make scarce
- make yourself scarce
- leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open for (something)
- leave oneself wide open for
- kick (oneself) for (doing something)
- selfie
- wash (one's) hands of (someone or something)
- wash your hands of somebody/something
- wash your hands of something/someone