[man in the street]{n. phr.} The man who is just like most other men; the average man; the ordinary man. •/The newspaper took a poll of the man in the street./ Compare: JOE DOAKES, JOHN Q. PUBLIC.

[manner] See: ALL MANNER OF, TO THE MANNER BORN.

[man of few words]{n. phr.} A man who doesn’t talk very much; a man who says only what is needed. •/The principal is a man of few words, but the pupils know what he wants./

[man of his word]{n. phr.} A man who keeps his promises and does the things he agrees to do; a man who can be trusted. •/My uncle is a man of his word./

[man of letters]{n. phr.} A writer; an author; a scholar. •/Chekhov was not only a practicing physician but also a first-rate man of letters./

[man of means]{n. phr.} A rich person. •/He became a man of means by successfully playing the stock market./

[man of parts]{n. phr.}, {literary} A man who has several different skills, talents, or qualities. •/The pianist is a man of parts. He wrote the piece he played, and he also plays the organ and paints well./

[man-of-war]{n. phr.} 1. A stinging jellyfish in the Gulf of Mexico. •/"No swimming today," the sign said, "as we have a man-of-war alert."/ 2. A large battleship displaying its national flag or insignia. •/The shipwreck victims were picked up by an American man-of-war./ 3. The albatross bird. •/After several days at sea we noticed some men-of-war majestically sailing through the skies./

[man-to-man]{adj.} Honest and full in the telling; not hiding anything embarrassing. •/Tom and his father had a man-to-man talk about his smoking pot./ Compare: HEART-TO-HEART.

[many] See: GOOD MANY or GREAT MANY, IN SO MANY WORDS, SO MANY.

[many a]{adj.} Many (persons or things) — Used with a singular noun. •/Many a boy learns to swim before he can read./ •/I have spent many a day in his home./

[many hands make light work] If many people work together, even a hard job becomes easier. — A proverb. •/Come on boys, many hands make light work. If we work together, we can finish painting the barn./

[many is me] There are a great number of (persons or things); many are the (persons or things). — Used at the beginning of a sentence with a singular noun. •/Many is the man I have lent money to./ •/Many was the time I ate at that restaurant./ Compare: MANY A.

[many moons ago]{adv. phr.} A long, long time ago. •/Many moons ago, when I was young, I was able to dance all night./

[map] See: PUT ON THE MAP.

[map out]{v. phr.} To arrange; lay out; plan. •/The candidate will meet with his campaign manager tomorrow to map out his campaign strategy./

[marble] See: HAVE ALL ONE’S BUTTONS or HAVE ALL ONE’S MARBLES.

[March] See: MAD AS A HATTER or MAD AS A MARCH HARE.

[march] See: STEAL A MARCH ON.

[mare’s nest]{n. phr.} Something that doesn’t exist; a discovery that proves to be worthless. •/He claims that he has discovered a gasoline substitute but we suspect it will turn out to be a mare’s nest./

[marine] See: TELL IT TO THE MARINES.

[mark] See: MAKE ONE’S MARK, TOE THE LINE or TOE THE MARK, UP TO THE MARK at UP TO PAR(2), WALK THE CHALK or WALK THE CHALK LINE or WALK THE CHALK MARK, WIDE OF THE MARK.

[markdown]{n.} A reduction in price. •/Joan asked, "Do you like my new sandals? They were markdowns at Marshall Field’s."/

[mark down]{v. phr.} 1. To lower the price. •/The department store marked down their prices on women’s sandals./ 2. To give a poor grade to a student. •/Peter was marked down for his numerous spelling errors./ 3. To make a written note of something. •/Here is my phone number; mark it down./

[marked man]{n. phr.} A man whose behavior has made him the object of suspicion; a man whose life may be in danger. •/When Dave dared to criticize the dictator openly, he became a marked man./

[market] See: FLEA MARKET, IN THE MARKET FOR, ON THE MARKET, PLAY THE MARKET.

[mark off]{v. phr.} Mark with lines; lay out in sections. •/The field will be marked off in accordance with the special track events that will take place tomorrow./

[mark one’s words]{v. phr.} To pay close attention to what one says; an emphatic expression indicating prophecy. •/"It will certainly rain tomorrow," he said. "Mark my words."/

[mark time]{v. phr.} 1. To move the feet up and down as in marching, but not going forward. •/The officer made the soldiers mark time as a punishment./ 2. To be idle; waiting for something to happen. •/The teacher marked time until all the children were ready for the test./ 3. To seem to be working or doing something, but really not doing it. •/It was so hot that the workmen just marked time./

[marry money]{v. phr.} To marry a rich person. •/Ellen married money when she became Hal’s wife./

[masking tape]{n.} A paper tape that is stuck around the edges of a surface being painted to keep the paint off the surface next to it. •/The painters put masking tape around the window frames to keep the paint off the glass./

[masse] See: EN MASSE.

[mast] See: NAIL ONE’S COLORS TO THE MAST.

[master copy]{n.} 1. A perfect text to which all copies are made to conform; a corrected version used as a standard by printers. •/The master copy must be right, because if it isn’t, the mistakes in it will be repeated all through the edition./ 2. A stencil from which other copies are made. •/Mr. Brown told his secretary to save the master copy so that they could run off more copies whenever they needed them./ •/The master copy was too light so many of the copies didn’t come out clear./

[master key]{n. phr.} A key that opens a set of different locks. •/The building janitor has a master key to all of the apartments in this building./

[mastermind]{v.} To create; direct; invent the central plan for several individuals to follow. •/Lenin masterminded the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia./

[mastermind]{n.} A person who supplies the intelligence for a project and/or undertakes its management. •/Winston Churchill was the mastermind in the war against Hitler./

[master of ceremonies] or [M.C.] or [emcee] {n.} The person in charge of introducing the various participants in a show or entertainment. •/Bob Hope was the M.C. of many memorable shows./

[mat] See: WELCOME MAT IS OUT.

[matter] See: FOR THAT MATTER, LAUGHING MATTER, NO MATTER, THE MATTER.

[matter of course]{n. phr.} Something always done; the usual way; habit; rule. •/A was a matter of course for John to dress carefully when he was meeting his wife./ •/Bank officers ask questions as a matter of course when someone wants to borrow money./

[matter of fact]{n. phr.} Something that is really true; something that can be proved. •/The town records showed that it was a matter of fact that the two boys were brothers./ •/It is a matter of fact that the American war against England was successful./ — Often used for emphasis in the phrase "as a matter of fact". •/I didn’t go yesterday, and as a matter of fact, f didn’t go all week./ •/Mary wasn’t wearing a blue dress. As a matter of fact, she hasn’t got a blue dress./ Compare: FOR THAT MATTER, IN FACT. Contrast: MATTER OF OPINION.