make a leg

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

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

1. (idiomatic, UK) To make a deep bow with the right leg drawn back.
   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act 3, scene 3]:

     King Richard II: What must the king do now? must he submit? […]
     What says King Bolingbroke? will his majesty
     Give Richard leave to live till Richard die?
     You make a leg, and Bolingbroke says ay.

   • 1870 April–September, Charles Dickens, chapter 18, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1870, →OCLC:

     "I beg pardon," said Mr. Datchery, making a leg with his hat under his arm, as he addressed himself equally to both gentlemen.

   • 1880, R. D. Blackmore, chapter 26, in Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale:

     "Father, return thanks; make a leg—no man can do it better. Master Mordacks, you shall have our utmost duty."

Synonyms

• bow and scrape

Translations

to make a deep bow

• Finnish: pokata (fi)

Anagrams

• megalake, megaleak