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

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 
1
938.
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-
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make a dust

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tion (also: raise the dust): No real building can come out of
revolutions which make a dust and a mess and bitterness and
reaction.
make the dust fly —(coll.) start working with the utmost vigor
or energy (also: make the feathers fly): We turned them loose
on the work, and they made the dust fly.
make a face • make face
make a face —
1
. show one’s dislike or disgust by one’s facial
expression: Every time I mentioned taking a swim in the lake
Jack made a face. 2. sketch, draw, or model a face: After you’ve
played with the controls a bit, and you’ve made a face that
you’re happy with, type in a name for the face.
make face —(arch.) offer resistance: Bonaparte was yet in
strength to make face against the united armies of the remain-
der of Europe.
See also: do faces / make faces.