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Glite Dictionary
made in the shade

made in the shade

1 8.2
In a safe, easy situation needing little effort
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : en una posición cómoda
  • After landing his dream job, he finally feels made in the shade.

Examples

  • I see you've got it made in the shade, man.

    Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)

  • We've got it made in the shade.

    2:13 (2009)

  • Or better yet, she sweet-sucks this guy and we're made in the shade!

    Lovelace (2013)

  • With a stable job and a supportive family, he feels like he has it made in the shade.

  • Living by the beach and working from home, she really has it made in the shade.

Antonyms

pressure
∞ 3.1

A strong feeling of stress from difficult demands

in a tight spot
  • Informal
8 4.2

In a difficult situation that is hard to get out of

How Comfortable

made in the shade
  • Informal
1 8.2
secure
318 3.2
comfortable
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

made in the shade positive

Morphology

made + in + the + shade

Although the parts 'made' and 'in the shade' have literal meanings, the idiomatic sense 'secure, comfortable, or favoured position' does not follow directly from composing those meanings; 'shade' as a metaphor for ease is not an obvious, literal inference. This is an established slangy idiom whose overall meaning is culture-specific and unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Made in the shade creates a simple picture: someone made, or 'settled', sitting in cool shade, safe from the hot sun and free from hard work. That's why it means being 'in a comfortable, secure position' where you do not need to worry.