A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

do something standing on one’s head • stand on
one’s head doing something
do something standing on one’s head —(coll.) do smth. very
easily or without effort (also: do something on one’s head): The
climb he wanted me to attempt was a simple one. At Cam-
bridge I could have done it standing on my head.
stand on one’s head doing something —(coll.) do everything
possible; do all in one’s power: He stood on his head trying
to explain to her why he was so late, but she still didn’t believe
him.
do something up • make something up
do something up —
1
. (of clothes) fasten; button up: You’ve
done your buttons up the wrong way. 2. wrap smth.: The
presents were all done up in shiny paper and put under the
Christmas tree. 3. (of hair) arrange: Will you help me to do
up my hair? 4. make smth. attractive or improve smth.: We
shall have to do up the house next spring. 5. (of fruit, etc.)
– 101 –
do something up

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preserve: Mother is doing up some blackberries, so that we
can eat them during the winter.
make something up —
1
. (of the road) put a bitumen surface
on to make it suitable for traffic: When are the council going
to make up this road? 2. repay a loss of smth.; compensate for
smth.: You must make up the time that you have wasted by
working late tonight. 3. (of a story, excuse, etc.) invent; fabri-
cate: These entertainers make their stories up as they go along.
4. apply cosmetics: He saw Teddy approach the clown, Diaz,
who sat on his trunk making up his face. 5. constitute smth.:
What are the qualities that should make up a man’s character?
6. put smth. together; complete a set of items: The train is
made up but is not yet ready to start. 7. fulfill a written order
or prescription: The chemist is still making up the order, and
says it will be ready in an hour.