make down

make down

English

Verb

make down (third-person singular simple present makes down, present participle making down, simple past and past participle made down)

1. (Pennsylvania Dutch English) To rain or snow; to precipitate.
   • 1952, Ethel Todd Anderson, Summer in Their Eyes, page 100:

     “Boy, is it really making down! And those flakes are the kind I used to think the fairies used for cushions when I was a little kid. It won't take long to pile up several inches of that stuff. I hope it quits soon so we can go out to the trail this afternoon.”

   • 2015, Charlotte Hubbard, Jennifer Beckstrand, Kelly Long, An Amish Christmas Quilt, Kensington Books (→ISBN), page 227:

     “It's making down hard out there.” “Very hard. I almost can't see a thing.” “Cum,” Anna said, nudging him farther into the room. “Stand by the woodstove and warm your hands. You look like Jack Frost with that layer of snow on your hat.”

   • 2015, Jennifer Beckstrand, Huckleberry Spring, Zebra Books (→ISBN), page 222:

     “Looks like it's going to make down hard.” Emma hadn't even noticed how dark the sky had grown. “I hope the tomatoes don't get waterlogged.”

   • 2016, Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand, Lisa Jones Baker, The Amish Christmas Kitchen, Kensington Books (→ISBN):

     “It looks like it's going to make down hard with snow.”

   • 2017, Linda Maran, Stranger, Pelican Ventures Book Group (→ISBN):

     Surely Jacob must have discussed this with her over the weekend at the shore. “Aenti Miriam didn't say much else. Ach, I better put the mat by the door, it's making down hard!”

2. To make ready or prepare (a bed).
   • 1818, James Hogg, Tales, in The Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany, page 128:

     At length he said, feebly, “Betty, my dear, make down the bed, and help me to it—it will be the last time.”

   • 2011, Edw Gwilym, Shadows on Men, BoD – Books on Demand (→ISBN), page 109:

     He complained of a sore head and wanted to sleep so Ruby set about making down the bed. Emily watched with interest as she lowered the stretcher from the wall, plumped up a straw mattress and threw a blanket over it.

   • 2015, A. R. Easterling, The Smile, iUniverse (→ISBN):

     Hitori's eyes slowly open and he carefully slips away from Akaya. Father and son walk down the hallway toward Hitori's room. Slowly, Hitori makes down the bed so he and Akaya can sleep more comfortably.

Further reading

• Robert Hendrickson, The Facts on File Dictionary of American Regionalisms, Infobase Publishing (2000, →ISBN), page 739
• Mim Harrison, Wicked Good Words: From Johnnycakes to Jug Handles, a Roundup of America's Regionalisms, Penguin (2011, →ISBN): "it's making own. If Pennsylvania Dutch had its own Weather Channel, you might hear “it's making rain down” or just “it's making down.”"
• Edwin Russell Danner, Pennsylvania Dutch Colloquialisms (1961): "It's making down hard. (It's raining hard.) [This also includes snow and any other kind of precipitation.] It looks like it will make something down. Compare: It looks for colder weather."