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

Note: 
The expression is not related in meaning to the phrase
give someone a fair shake—(coll.) give smb. fair treatment:
The man did not believe that the judge would give him a fair
shake at his trial.
give someone the shake —(coll.) get away or escape from a
person without his noticing: “Do you think he followed you?”
“I gave him the shake in the crowd.”
give someone a shake-down • shake someone
down
give someone a shake-down —provide smb. with an impro-
vised sleeping accommodation: You can give him a shake-
down here to-night, can’t you?
Note: 
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase give someone a shake-up—
1
. make a person suffer a
nervous shock: Don’t disturb her. Let her sleep. That accident
gave her a nasty shake-up. 2. rouse a person to action: It gave
me a shake-up and I half heartedly started swimming and
doing weights in the house.
shake someone down —(U.S. sl.) 
1
. extort money from smb.
by threats or deception: If someone has money and won’t share,
everyone else will shake him down. 2. search a person (for
weapons, drugs, etc): I can not tell you how many times police
officers sniffed out something “wrong” with me and shook me
down.
Note: 
The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the
phrase shake someone up—
1
. = give someone a shake-up 
1
: The
whole experience quite shook me up though, I don’t drink
and drive but I felt quite panicky at being pulled over…. 2.
= give someone a shake-up 2: Maybe it’s time to shake him up
a bit. This is a very touchy situation, given that you have a
child together.
give someone a thick ear • give someone one’s ear
give someone a thick ear —slap a person on his ear, especially
as a punishment: He’d give you a thick ear if he heard you say
that. Or Rosie would. Sam’s too polite.
give someone one’s ear —(formal) listen attentively to a per-
son; pay close attention to smb.’s words: If I was struggling
with a decision he gave me his ear and some advice.