Make

subs. (old).—1.  See MAG.

  2.  (thieves’).—See quot.

  1748.  T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). MAKE (A.) done, performed, produced; also a cant word for theft.

  Verb, (thieves’).—1.  To steal. For synonyms, see PRIG.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. MAKE … I MADE this knife at a heat, I stole it cleaverly.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. MADE.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. MADE.

  1877.  GREENWOOD, Dick Temple, ch. vi. Ten or twelve pounds per week! There are hundreds of London thieves, who are known and branded as such, who do not MAKE twice as many shillings.

  2.  (Winchester College).—To appropriate.

  1866.  MANSFIELD, School-Life at Winchester College, 46. In the matter of certain articles … supplied by the College, we used to put a liberal interpretation on the eighth commandment … and it was considered fair to MAKE them if you could.

  3.  (colloquial).—To earn.

  1873.  GREENWOOD, In Strange Company, 17. But what one in vain looked for was the ‘jolly beggar,’ the oft-quoted and steadfastly believed-in personage who scorns work because he can ‘MAKE’ in a day three times the wages of an honest mechanic by the simple process of ‘cadging.’

  ON THE MAKE, adv. phr. (common).—Intent on (1) booty, or (2) profit.

  TO MAKE UP ONE’S MOUTH, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To get one’s living.

  TO MAKE HORNS, verb. phr. (old).—1.  To reproach with cuckoldom by forking two fingers from the brows. See HORNS.

  2.  (colloquial).—See FACES.

  TO MAKE AWAY (WITH ONESELF), verb. phr. (colloquial).—See quot. 1836.

  1596.  SPENSER, A View of the Present State of Ireland [Encyclopædic Dictionary]. Clarence … soon after, by sinister means, was clean MADE AWAY.

  1836.  DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, p. 65 (ed. 1857). ‘Perhaps he may hang himself.’ ‘Very good,’ rejoined Mr. Simmery, pulling out the gold pencil-case again. ‘I’ve no objection to take you that way. Say, MAKES AWAY with himself.’ ‘Kills himself, in fact,’ said Wilkins Flasher, Esquire.

  TO MAKE DAINTY, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To scruple.

  TO MAKE NICE, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To scruple or object.

  TO MAKE UP, verb. phr. (theatrical and common).—1.  To dress: as an actor for a part. See MAKE-UP.

  1602.  DEKKER, Satiromastix, in Works (1871), i. 253.

  1633.  JONSON, The Tale of a Tub, i. 3.

  1655.  MASSINGER, A Very Woman, or The Prince of Tarent, i. 1.

  1844.  Puck, p. 30. Feeling convinced that lovers were my line I once tried Romeo, but was hissed; since then My young ambition, sadly I resign,—My mind and face MADE UP for first old men.

  1869.  E. WOOD, Roland Yorke, xxv. That lady … had absolute need of artistic aid in the matter of MAKING-UP; face and shape and hair and attire alike requiring daily renovation.

  1883.  D. COOK, Nights at the Play, vol. I. ch. xv. The actor had taken exceeding pains with the part. His face had been carefully MADE UP, and every detail of his dress and deportment elaborately studied.

  2.  (common).—To get up, or invent: as a catch or ‘take in.’

  TO MAKE (or TAKE) IT UP, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be reconciled after a quarrel.

  1598.  SHAKESPEARE, Merchant of Venice, v. 4, 103. I knew when seven justices could not MAKE UP a quarrel.

  TO MAKE MOUTHS, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To jeer; to grin.

  TO MAKE ENDS MEET, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate. For synonyms, see GREENS and RIDE.

  TO MAKE HAY, verb. phr. (common).—To tumble; to confuse; to disorder.

  1863.  H. KINGSLEY, Austin Elliot, ch. xiii. His usual holiday amusements were these—to interrupt his sister’s lessons as much as possible, and in the absence of the governess, TO (as he called it) MAKE HAY in the school-room.

  TO MAKE MEAT OF, verb. phr. (American).—To kill.

  1848.  RUXTON, Life in the Far West, p. 3. Poor Bill Bent! them Spaniards MADE MEAT of him.

  TO MAKE A HOUSE, verb. phr. (parliamentary).—To gather a quorum (40 members).

  1864.  The Spectator, p. 529. Nobody played marplot, but the division revealed the absence of a quorum, and a bill which interests all capitalists, and will before long interest every taxpayer, was interrupted by mere official carelessness as to MAKING A HOUSE.

  AS GOOD (BAD, HOT, DRUNK, etc.) AS THEY MAKE THEM, phr. (common).—As good, bad, etc. as may be.

  187[?].  Broadside Ballad, ‘AS GOOD AS THEY MAKE ’EM’ [Title].

  1889.  Modern Society, 12 Oct., p. 1265, col. 2. About a dozen yards in, I think you said, and the tide coming in about AS FAST AS THEY MAKE IT. Ibid. p. 1267, col. 2. The couple were engaged to be married, and Miss King, who seems to be AS SENTIMENTAL AS AMERICANS ARE MADE, suggested that they should carry out the marriage ceremony in Greenwood Cemetery.

  1889.  Bird o’ Freedom, 7 Aug., p. 3. On reaching the party it was evident that one of the Frenchmen was, not to put too fine a point on it, about AS DRUNK AS THEY MAKE ’EM. He opened the campaign by asking us to have a drink with him. Of course, he spoke in French.

  1890.  GRANT ALLEN, The Tents of Shem, iii. I like them; thorough ladies, and well brought up, and AS CLEVER AS THEY MAKE THEM.

  1894.  GEORGE MOORE, Esther Waters, xvii. You are AS STRONG AS THEY MAKE ’EM.

  MAKE HIM SWIM FOR IT, phr. (American thieves’).—See quot.

  1859.  G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. MAKE HIM SWIM FOR IT. Cheat him out of his share.

  See also BACK; BACON; BATES; BEEF; BLUE; BONES; BOOKS; BUTTONS; CHILDREN’S SHOES; CLEAN BREAST; CLEAN SWEEP; CLINK; CRIMSON; DUCKS-AND-DRAKES; FACE; FEATHER; FIGURE; FISH; FLASH; FOOL; FUN; FUR; GOOD; HAIR; HAND; HARE; HASH; HAY; HONEST WOMAN; KISS; LEG; LIP; LONG-ARM; LUCKY; MAN; MEAL; MEAT; MOUTH; NIGHT; PILE; PLAY; POINT; QUEEN ANNE’S FAN; RAISE; RUNNING; SCARCE; SHOW; SPLASH; SPLIT; STAND; THINGS; TRACKS; TURKEY-MERCHANT; TWO COME; VIRGINIA FENCE; WATER; WHACK; WHOLE CLOTH; WOMAN; etc. etc.