make hay
Verb phrase: - To take full advantage of an opportunity, especially a favorable situation or set of circumstances, to gain a benefit or promote one's own interests. The phrase often implies acting quickly and effectively while conditions are good.
The phrase "make hay" is almost always used with the preposition "while" to form the full idiom "make hay while the sun shines." It means to act promptly and effectively to take advantage of a favorable opportunity before it disappears. It can also be used in a more general sense of exploiting a situation for one's own gain.
General Idiomatic Use:
- Farmers have to make hay while the sun shines to ensure the crop dries properly.
- The sales team made hay during the holiday season, breaking all previous records.
Figurative/Exploitative Use (as in the reference context):
- The opposition party made hay of the government's mistake during the debate.
- He made hay out of his competitor's misfortune to win the contract.
- "make hay of/out of [something]": To exploit a situation, often a mistake or misfortune of others, for one's own advantage. This usage has a slightly more negative connotation of capitalizing on someone else's trouble.
- The media made hay out of the celebrity's scandal.
- Haymaker (n): A powerful blow or punch. (Note: This is a different, unrelated idiom from boxing).
- Haywire (adj): Out of control; chaotic. (Note: This is a different, unrelated idiom).
- Capitalize on: To use a situation to gain an advantage.
- Exploit: To make full use of and derive benefit from.
- Seize the opportunity: To quickly take advantage of a chance.
- Strike while the iron is hot: Another idiom with a very similar meaning of acting at the most opportune time.
- Make hay while the sun shines: The full and most common form of the idiom. It emphasizes the urgency of acting while conditions are favorable.
- You should apply for that job now—make hay while the sun shines!
The core meaning is proactive and opportunistic. It carries a generally positive or neutral connotation when referring to leveraging good conditions (e.g., good weather, a strong economy). It can carry a more critical or negative connotation when referring to exploiting another's mistake or misfortune for personal or political gain, as seen in the reference example.
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turn to one's advantage
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The environmentalist lobby made hay of the nuclear plant accident
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