Jerry:
Hey Ryan! So… how’s it going with the new girl at Starbucks? Have you asked her out yet?Ryan: No, not yet… It’s hard to talk to her at work, but I think she knows I like her!
Jerry: Man, are you waiting for her to make a move?
Ryan: Haha! Very funny! Actually, I don’t like it when a woman asks me out the first time.
Jerry: Why not? Are you old-fashioned? If a woman makes a move, you know she’s really interested.
Ryan: That’s true, I guess–I just feel more traditional about asking someone on a first date.
Jerry: Well, don’t wait too long, Jerry–or some other guy might make a move first!
Example 2:
August: So Amy… white goes first… make a move!
Cynthia: Hmm, I don’t know all the chess pieces yet….
August: There’s only one way to find out. Try one and you’ll learn as we play.
Cynthia: Okay, I just have to protect my King and Queen, right?
August: Exactly! And white goes first. I’m black, so you make the first move.
Meaning: to try to start a romantic relationship with someone, to try to advance your position
In Example 1, Ryan likes a woman who works at Starbucks, but he’s a little afraid to make a move and ask her out on a date. His friend, Jerry, is pushing him to just go for it.
In Example 2, August and Cynthia are playing a game of chess, but Cynthia has never played before. She doesn’t know how to make a move with her chess pieces to start the game and advance.
Usage notes: We make a move when we want to advance our position. We can make a move to try to get a promotion at work, win a game, and start a relationship with someone.
The idiom “make a move” was taken from Unit 9 (The Speed of Romance) in LSI’s textbook Reading Transitions for Level 4 Reading/Vocabulary classes.