Make a convenience of

Question

Hi,I have come across the phrase "to make a convenience of." According to the Collins online dictionary, http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/make-a-convenience-of#make-a-convenience-of_1the phrase has the meanings of "to take advantage of; impose upon." I was wondering if anyone can give me some examples as to usage for each of these two definitions. Thank you.

Clive · Accepted Answer

I've never heard of such meanings. If someone spoke to me that way, I would not understand them.

Clive

SuperESL · Answer

Thanks for your candor. I suppose the phrase is archaic. I have just come across the following passages on the Internet in which it is used in the sense of 'to take advantage of / exploit," all from the 19th century:

During January 1837 the Governor and Committee informed the Columbia District manager that "although it is our wish, that the rites of Hospitality should be shown at our Establishments to Strangers, when properly introduced, or to such as through necessity, or distress be compelled to solicit it, we are averse to keeping open house, for the Entertainment and accomodation of people who have no such claim upon us, but who make a convenience of our Hospitality to acquire a knowledge of our affairs. . . ."

Those other departments make a convenience of the Colonial Office: the patronage of the colonies is the receptacle into which they cast their own importunate but very incompetent applicants for public employment.

I stated to him the unreasonableness of expecting the bank to make no charge; the different State Banks would make a convenience of the Bank of the United States to accommodate their own customers.

But I must say that a word or a phrase is no longer current should be no bar to its use. After all, it is up to us whether it should be left esoteric: we can make it current again by using it more ourselves.

Clive · Answer

Good research.

we can make it current again by using it more ourselves.<<<< Good luck with this.

Clive

Avangi · Answer

I too found plenty of examples from the mid nineteenth century, but only one from the twentieth.
I had only limited success in finding a common thread.
The "definition" is found in several places ("to take advantage of; impose upon."), but it's unclear whether we are to take advantage of a person or a thing --- if we are to impose upon a person, or to impose something on something else.

Dave_anon · Answer

I'd date it at least into the mid-twentieth century. English joke, only about fifty years old ...

Bathroom attendant sitting in deckchair - I asked the boss for a holiday and he said I could take it at my convenience

Dave

Make a convenience of

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions