An idiom is an expression that uses words to create a meaning that may not be immediately clear from the words used. Usually idioms derive from some kind of cultural context, and like many languages, English has a lot of idiomatic expressions. Today we're going to look at some idioms that use the verb "to make."

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But the Magnus Effect is making a comeback.

Caption 43, Science - Surprising Applications of the Magnus Effect

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The phrase "making a comeback" means for somebody who was once well-known and successful, but who had in the meantime become forgotten or less successful, to be in the process or regaining their lost fame or success. 

We've made our way gradually down the country.​

Caption 20, World Cup 2015 - New Zealand getting the word out

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To "make your way" is to start going somewhere.

They laughed about his big feet and made fun of his plump, grey body.

Captions 37-38, Fairy Tales - The Ugly Duckling - Part 1

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To "make fun" of something or somebody is to ridicule it or them.

You just make more waves.

Caption 70, Prince Ea - I Am NOT Black, You are NOT White

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To "make waves" is to cause trouble or have a strong effect on something.

Further Learning
Here's a list of some more idioms with the verb "to make": make a beeline, make a clean sweep, make ends meet, make a face, make a fuss, make a fool out of, make a go of it, make a killing, make a living, make a name for, make a point, make a run for it, make a scene, make a stink, make an example of, make an exception, make arrangements, make good on, make light of, make mischief, make sense, make short work of, make someone tick, make something up, make the grade. 

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See if you can figure out what they mean and do a search for other idioms on Yabla English to find other examples used in a real-world context.

In English, cardinal numbers (for example, "one," "two," or "three") refer to quantity, whereas ordinal numbers ("first," "second," or "third") refer to distribution. Ordinal numbers are used in dates and fractions. They are employed as adjectives to describe importance, position in a list, and placement in time.

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Generally, ordinal numbers are created by adding -th to the end of the cardinal number. However, there are exceptions for the numbers one (first), two (second), three (third), five (fifth), eight (eighth), nine (ninth), and twelve (twelfth). 

I've been nervous. I think you know it's my first video ever.

Caption 31, Adele - The Making of 'Chasing Pavements'

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It is the world's sixth largest country by total area.

Caption 3, Soccer World Cup - Australia

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On the twelfth day after Christmas, we have to take down all the decorations and the tree.

Caption 47, Christmas traditions - in the UK

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Starting with twenty, the ordinal numbers for multiples of ten (for example, thirty or ninety) are created by replacing the "y" with "ieth."

And we've got the one year celebration on the thirtieth of May.

Caption 30, FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 - New Zealand getting the word out

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This may seem like a lot to remember. However, for other numbers above twenty, only the last figure is written as an ordinal number:

English is the language of the twenty-first century. 

Caption 8, Strothoff International School - Imagefilm

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They have a wonderful internet café on the forty-seventh... forty-eighth floor.

Caption 67, An Apartment - in Japan

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Further Learning
Memorize the ordinal numbers from one to twenty with the help of this extensive list of ordinal numbers and find more examples on Yabla English.