Make a name for oneself


Achieve distinction, become prominent or well known, as in Martha is making a name for herself as an excellent chef . The earliest recorded use of this term was in John Wycliffe’s followers’ translation of the Bible (II Samuel 8:13): “Forsooth David made to him a name.” Also see make one’s mark

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  • Make an appointment

    1. Assign someone to a particular office or position, as in When the head of White House security resigned, it was up to the President to make an appointment. [ Mid-1800s ] 2. Schedule a meeting with someone, as in Do I need to make another appointment with the doctor? [ Mid-1700s ]

  • Make an ass of

    see: make a fool of

  • Make-and-break

    [meyk-uh n-breyk] /ˈmeɪk ənˈbreɪk/ adjective 1. noting or pertaining to a device, operated by an electric current, for automatically opening or closing a circuit once it has been closed or opened by a mechanical springlike device, as in a doorbell.

  • Make an example of

    Punish someone so as to be a warning to others, as in The teacher made an example of the boy she caught cheating, or The judge imposed a tough sentence to make an example of the car thieves. This usage is first recorded in John Wycliffe’s followers’ translation of the Bible (c. 1382).

  • Make an exhibition of oneself

    Show off or otherwise embarrass oneself in public, as in When Mike has too much to drink he’s apt to make an exhibition of himself. The first recorded use of this term was in Charles Dickens’s A Child’s History of England (1853).


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