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

make out a prescription • make up a prescription
make out a prescription —(of a doctor) fill out a written order
for a medicine: Many over-the-counter drugs are very difficult
to get in other countries, so have your doctor make out a pre-
scription as a precaution.
make up a prescription —(of a chemist) prepare a mixture
such as medicine: Physicians are not allowed to sell medicines
to their patients, except when the pharmacist refuses to make
up a prescription.
make out someone • make out with someone
make out someone —
1
. manage to see a person, especially in
the distance or in the dark: He thought that he could make
out a human figure lying at the bottom of the pit. 2. (also:
figure out someone) understand smb.’s character; find an expla-
nation for a person’s behavior: What a queer fellow he is! I
can’t make him out at all.
make out with someone —(coll.) get on with a person (usually
implying difficulty): How are you making out with the people
in your new office?
make over someone • make someone over
make over someone —(coll.) pay a lot of attention to smb.;
make a fuss over a person: Why does she make over your sister
so much?
make someone over— change a person’s appearance : The
hairstylist tried to make Carla over, but she wanted to be the
way she had always been.
make over something • make something over
make over something —(coll.) pay a lot of attention to smth.;
make a fuss over smth.: Aunt Jane made over the wedding
gifts as if they were for her instead of Susan.
make something over —remake or refashion smth.: I’ll have
to make this dress over, it’s all the wrong shape.
See also: do something over / overdo something.
make play with something • play about with
something
make play with something —make effective use of smth.:
Clever politicians make play with the subject for their own
ends, and the general result is confusion, extravagance, and
injustice.