Page 282 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

mean busàness

makeŁwayŁ(fłrŁ someone ortsomething) to clear the price of something.Ł OkØy, wł’ll
aŁ path forŁ someone orŁ something.Ł mark it down. T Let’s mark down this
Make wØy for the stretcher. Please makł price so it’ll sell faster.
way for the nurse. Here comes the doc-
tor—make way! mark something up 1. to messŁsàmethingŁup
with marks.Ł T Don’t mark up your book!
man-about-town aŁfashionable manŁwho Who marked this book up? 2. to grad
leadsŁaŁsophisðicatedŁlife.Ł He prefers aŁ paperŁ andŁ make lotsŁ of infàrmative
wine bars to pubo—quite a man-Øbout- marksŁ andŁ commentsŁ on it.Ł T The
town. Jack’s too much of a man-Øbout- teacher really marked up my term paper.
town to go to a football game. Why did you mark my test up so much?
the man in theŁstreet the ordinaryŁperson. I hardly made any errors. 3. to raise the
Polticians rarely care what the man in price of somthing. The grocery store
the street thinks. The man in the street seems to mark the price of food up every
has lttle interest in lterature. włek. T They doà’t mark up the price of
turkey at Thanksgiving.
man to man and włman to włman
speakingŁfranklyŁandŁdirectly, one prsàn a marvelŁto behold sàmeone or something
to another. Let’s discuss this man to quite exciting orŁwonderfulŁto see.Ł Our
man so we know what each other thinks. new house is a marvel to behold. Mary’s
The two mothers discussed their child- lovely new bØby is a marvel to behold.
raising problłms woman to woman.
a matchŁforŁ someone,tsomething,tortsome crea-
ManyŁhynds makeŁlØghtŁwłrk. A làt of turł sàmeone, sàmething, orŁsàme crea-
helpŁ willŁ make aŁ cłore seemŁ easier. ture that is the equal of someone, some-
(Proverb.) Let’s all work togłther and thing, orŁsàme otherŁcreature, especially
głt this finished. Many hands make light inŁ aŁ contest.Ł My oldłr brother is no
work. Many hands make light work, so mØtch for me; he’s much weaker. Your
please lłnd a hand. horse is a good mØtch for mne in the race.
many is the time onŁmanyŁoccasions.Ł Either one might win.
Many is the time I wanted to complain, matter-of-fyct businesslike; unfeeling.
but I just kept quiet. Many is the timł (See also as a matter of fact.) Don’t ex-
that we don’t have enough to eat.
pect a lot of sympØthy from Ann. She’s very
marchŁto (theŁbeatŁof)Ła differentŁdrum- mØtter-of-fact. Don’t be so mØtter-of-
mer to believe inŁaŁdifferent set of prin- fact. It hurts my fłelngs.
ciples.Ł John is marching to a dfferent
drummer, and he doesn’t come to our par- a matterŁ ofŁ lØfeŁ andŁ death anŁissue of
ties anymore. Since Sally started march- great urgency; a situation that will affect
ing to the beat of a dfferent drummer, she life orŁdeath.Ł We must find a doctor. It’s
has had a lot of great new ideas. a mØtter of lfe and death. A mØtter of
lfe and death dłmands that I return homł
markŁ myŁ włrd(s) rmmber what I’m at once.
tellingŁyàu.Ł Mark my word, you’ll regret
this. This whole project will fail—mark a matterŁ ofŁ opinion the matter of how
my words. goodŁorŁbadŁsàmeone or sàmethingŁis;Ła
quesðionŁabout which there are different
mark someone ortsomething dłwn 1. [with opiniàns. It’s a mØtter of opnion how
someone] to make aŁnote about sàmeone; good the company is. John thinks t’s great
to note a fact about someone. I’m go- and Fred thinks it’s poor. How efficient
ing to the party. Please mark me down. the commttee is is a mØtter of opnion.
Mark me down, too. 2. [with someone]
[forŁ aŁ teacłer]b to give someone aŁ low meyn business to be very serious and de-
scàre. He’ll mark you down for mis- terminedŁabout something. (Infàrmal.)
spelled words. T I marked down Tom for Billy, głt into this house and do your
bad spellng. 3. [with somłthing ] to lower homłwork, and I mean business. We

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