make hay
/meɪk heɪ/
verb phrase
Origin
Old English
mægan + hēg — to prepare + dried grass
Overview
Meaning Now
- to cut and dry grass to produce hay for fodder
- to take advantage of a favorable opportunity
Literal older meaning
to convert grass into dried fodder for livestock
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
make hay
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The phrase originates from the agricultural necessity of harvesting hay during brief periods of dry, sunny weather. If the hay was not turned and dried effectively, it would rot, leading to a loss of essential winter fodder.
Evolution
- Old English
hēg
“grass cut and dried for fodder”
- Middle English
maken hey
“the act of harvesting hay”
- 16th century
make hay
“to profit from an opportunity”
Appearance of the proverbial idiom
Connections
Word parts
make
root
to produce
hay
root
dried grass
Related across languages
Dutch
hooi maken
to make hay
German
Heu machen
to make hay
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Related to make hay
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.