English Grammar: Idioms And Phrases (“Set-M/N”)

English Grammar: Idioms And Phrases (“Set-M/N”) | for CSS, PMS, PCS, NTS

Maiden speech
(One’s first speech) – Mehreen’s maiden speech was a complete failure. She cut a sorry figure by forgetting her points.

Make a bolt for it
(Run away suddenly) – The prisoners made a bolt for it when the guard wasn’t looking.

Make a clean breast of
(To make full confession) – The judge will give the convict a lighter sentence if he makes a clean breast of his involvement. (ii) She resolved to make a clean breast of it before she died.

Make a clean sweep
(To get rid of everything unnecessary or unwanted) – The new manager made a clean sweep of all the lazy people in the department.

Make a fool of
(Trick him) – You certainly made a fool of him by giving him the old book as new.

Make a scene
(Create an embarrassing situation by displaying emotion) – He made a scene in the bar because his friend was drinking too much.

Make amends
(To do something to improve the situation after doing something wrong, stupid etc.) – He gave her a present to make amends for his rudeness.

Make eyes at
(Look lovingly at) – She saw her husband making eyes at another girl.

Check also: English grammar MCQs

Make one’s mark
(Become distinguished) – She has made her mark in writing poetry.

Make someone’s blood run cold
(To frighten or horrify (someone) very much) – The terrible scream made her blood run cold.

Make up one’s mind
(Decide) I can’t make up my mind whether to spend the vacation at home or in Abbotabad.

Meet halfway
(Compromise) – The employees wanted all their demands to be met. The management eventually met halfway by accepting three fourths of their demands.

Neat as a pin
(Very neat and tidy) – Everything was as neat as a pin in the house.

Neck and neck
(keen and close; close together of two competitors in a contest) – If newcomers were to bring in the system of neck-and-neck trading.

Never say die
(Don’t despair) – Tell him I bid him never say die.

Now and then
(Occasionally; from time to time) – Now and then a car passed; otherwise the two of us were all by ourselves walking the moonlight.

Null and void
(Ineffective) – The Supreme Court has declared our state’s law on land holding null and void.