ing expedition: I was quail-shooting and had made a bag of about a dozen birds by the time I had reached the house. 2. (of a pregnant animal) undergo enlargement of the udder: Femme is dropping in her tummy now, and starting to make a bag . Rainy is just very round and tight in her tummy, but very little udder development started. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase make a bags of something—(Irish coll.) do smth. incom- petently or inadequately; make a mess of smth.: If the new Authority proposes to operate like that in the future, I predict that it is going to make a bags of higher education. make the bag —(Hunting) contribute most to the total of game killed on a shooting expedition: Sir Allan is making the bag . That is the third time he has wiped Sir Joseph’s eye. make a bed • make one’s bed make a bed —put a bed in order after it has been used; fit a bed with sheets and blankets so that it is ready to sleep in: A true nurse always knows how to make a bed , and always makes it herself. make one’s bed—1. = make a bed: I made my way back upstairs, made my bed and sat down to read some more. 2. suffer the consequences of one’s own actions (in allusion to the saying “make one’s bed and lie in it”): I also find it hard to feel sorry for Claudia because she has made her bed , so to speak. See also: make down a bed / make up a bed. make a big play of something • make great game of something make a big play of something—(also: make much play of some- thing) treat smth. as very important in order to make an effect: They get us out of the car and make a big play of examining our papers. make great game of something—make fun of smth.; ridicule smth.: People made great game of the affair and called him Thorgeir Bottleback, a name which stuck to him ever after. See also: make play with something / play about with some- thing. make a bow • make one’s bow make a bow —bow as a sign of respect or as a greeting: Mrs. Everett made a cold bow , and, afflicted with sudden myopia, did not see the hand held out. Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase take a bow— bow to acknowledge an introduction, applause, etc.: She received a standing ovation and gracefully responded by taking a bow . make one’s bow—1. bow when making a formal exit or entrance: “A mighty wet day, sir,” says I to Mr. Hock, stepping up and making my bow . 2. (performing arts) make a formal appearance for the first time: She made her bow in a small club in this city. make a business of something • make it one’s business make a business of something —make smth. one’s profession: If you like to travel, you could make a business of transporting other people’s cars to Florida. make it one’s business—consider smth. one’s duty or respon- sibility: Miss Leatheran had thereupon made it her business to find out exactly what this foreigner was doing in their midst. make a case for something • make a federal case out of something make a case for something—(also: make out a case for some- thing) give good reasons why smth. should be done: You can easily make a case for giving a placebo as being a valid course of treatment. make a federal case out of something —(also: make it a federal case) complain too much; exaggerate the importance of smth.: I only spilled my milk. Why make a federal case out of it. make a claim for something • make a claim to something make a claim for something—demand compensation pay- ment (under an insurance contract): If you send a parcel that becomes lost or damaged … you may wish to make a claim for compensation. make a claim to something —(also: make a claim on something) 1. assert one’s right to smth.: Japan made a claim to this ter- ritory and argued that it was illegally occupied. 2. allege or aver smth.: As I am not an anthropologist, sociologist or his- torian, I make no claim to understanding culture from any of those perspectives. make a clean sweep of something • sweep something clean make a clean sweep of something—1. eliminate smth.: The revolutionary force of motorization has made a clean sweep of all other patterns of living. 2. win all the prizes, seats in parliament, etc.: Mr. Drapeau’s Civic Party made a clean sweep of all 52 seats on the city council. sweep something clean—clear dust, dirt, etc. from the area with a brush or broom: Böhm promptly grabbed a broom and swept the room clean himself. See also: sweep clear for something / sweep clear of something. make a compliment to someone • make one’s compliments to someone make a compliment to someone—(also: pay a compliment to someone) express praise or admiration for a person in a remark: She was remarkable for her sincerity, and when she made a compliment to anyone, she spoke what she really felt. make one’s compliments to someone—(also: pay one’s compli- ments to someone) express one’s greetings or good wishes to a person: We are about to leave, so go make your compliments to the host. make a day of it • make someone’s day make a day of it—devote a day to some pleasurable activity: To make a day of it , invest 400 yen on a one-day pass that allows passengers to get off and on at sites of interest along the route. make someone’s day—render smb.’s day delightful; give a person great pleasure: I had it sent to him for an early Fathers Day gift. He doesn’t get excited over too many things and this hat definitely made his day ! make a do of it • make a to-do about it make a do of it—(coll.) make smth. succeed (also: make a go of it): You’ve got your own life and you go and live it and make a do of it . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase make do with something—(also: make something do) accept smth. although it is not quite adequate or satisfactory: It should be no great hardship for the community to make do with the same housing accommodation that it enjoyed in 1938. Cf.: make do and mend—continue to manage with smth. one already possesses, especially by repairing or adapting: The author describes how fashion was limited by shortage and utility, cre- ating an era of make do and mend . make a to-do about it—(coll.) complain too much about smth.; make a fuss or a scene about smth.: If the waiter makes a mistake, don’t make a big to-do about it. make a dust • make the dust fly make a dust—(coll.) act in a noisy manner; cause a commo- – 227 – make a dust