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

make it a federal case • make out a case for
 something
make it a federal case —(also: make a federal case out of it)
complain too much; exaggerate the importance of smth.: I’m
not the only person in the family who smokes, but they’re
going to make it a federal case.
make out a case for something—(also: make a case for some-
thing ) give good reasons why smth. should be done: He said
he was an atheist but he never debated the subject with me
and never made out a case for atheism.
make it hot for someone • make someone hot
make it hot for someone —(coll.) put smb. under pressure;
make things difficult for a person: Maybe if we make it hot
for them, they’ll leave.
make someone hot—
1
. cause a person to feel warm: I had to
stay on the magnesium for another ten hours. It made me hot
and nauseous and disoriented. 2. (coll.) make smb. feel angry
or embarrassed: It is a curious thing that if you call his name
aloud in public after an Englishman you make him hot and
fretty. 3. (sl.) arouse a person sexually: Listen, I’m sitting here
imagining you reading this, and it makes me hot, makes me
want to get naked.
See also: get the hots for someone / give it hot to someone.
make it up to someone • make it up with
someone
make it up to someone —compensate a person for negligence,
difficulties, inconvenience, etc.: If you’ll work overtime
tonight, I’ll make it up to you by giving you Saturday morning
off.
make it up with someone —(also: make up with someone) settle
a quarrel; make one’s peace with a person: I really want to make
it up with her, but she won’t speak to me.
make leeway • make up leeway
make leeway —provide a margin of freedom, as of activity,
time, or expenditure: Because we had to expand we had to
get so much more machinery, so you make leeway for all this
in the budget.
make up leeway —compensate that which has been lost or
wasted (by doing extra work, etc.): There is a short break of
ten minutes between each presentation, to make up leeway
caused by prolonged discussion.