make my bed

[joham]

In the morning after I get up, I make my bed. In the evening before I get into bed, I make ready by spreading and arranging the sheets and covers neatly. What do we call this action? Also 'make my bed'?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Tdol]

You could use turn down.

 

[emsr2d2]

Arranging the covers neatly, with them pulled up to or over the level of the pillows, is "making the bed". If you "turn down the bed" then you take either one corner of the top covers or both top corners and you pull them neatly down, revealing some of the bottom sheet, mainly to air the lower sheet for a few moments before getting in.

 

[BrunaBC]

Very interesting. I know other meanings for turn down, but I'd never know it could also mean to prepare the bed to sleep.

Thank you!;-)

 

[SoothingDave]

Fancy hotels will offer a "turn down service" where they will do this, and maybe bring you a nice cookie or chocolate as well.

 

[Barb_D]

My nighttime rituals is far simpler. Try to get into bed without disturbing the cats.

 

[Tdol]

My nighttime rituals is far simpler. Try to get into bed without disturbing the cats.

I know the term, but turning down beds is like ironing sheets and socks- something my grandmother did. Hope the cats don't get disturbed.

 

[emsr2d2]

At a lovely hotel I stayed at in Sri Lanka, the staff went round each bedroom at about 9pm, turned down each bed and scattered flower petals all over the bedcovers. It was a really nice touch.

 

[joham]

Thanks so much for all your kind and also very interesting replies. Just now I was reading LONGMAN'S COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH (2002) when I came across this phrase again (in Entry 399):

to make a bed (= to prepare the bed for sleeping on).

Then does 'make a/the/my bed' have another meaning (=turn down the bed)?

Thank you again.

 

[Barb_D]

At a lovely hotel I stayed at in Sri Lanka, the staff went round each bedroom at about 9pm, turned down each bed and scattered flower petals all over the bedcovers. It was a really nice touch.

That does sound lovely, but all things considered, if I could choose between having flower petals in my hotel room and a cat, I'd take the cat. Don't know why mammal rentals aren't a service offered at the big chains.

 

[JMurray]

Thanks so much for all your kind and also very interesting replies. Just now I was reading LONGMAN'S COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH (2002) when I came across this phrase again (in Entry 399):

to make a bed (= to prepare the bed for sleeping on).
Then does 'make a/the/my bed' have another meaning (=turn down the bed)?


To "make a bed", or "make up a bed", is to put sheets, blankets, pillows and perhaps a top cover or eiderdown (duvet) on the bed so it is suitable for sleeping in. A properly made bed often has the top covers pulled all the way up over the pillows.
To "turn down a bed" is to partly turn down the cover/eiderdown to reveal the blankets underneath and then, as emsr2d2 says, usually turn down the corner of the blanket(s) and top sheet as well.
So, to make a bed and turn down a bed are not the same.

not a teacher

 

[JMurray]

I might add that to "make up a bed" often means to start from the beginning with maybe only a bed frame and mattress, and to prepare it from there. To "make a bed" more often means to tidy up a bed that already has blankets, sheets etc and has been slept in.

not a teacher

 

[Rover_KE]

Don't know why mammal rentals aren't a service offered at the big chains.

:scatter:

That's me sneezing at the very thought of being offered a cat in a hotel.:shock:

Rover

 

[SoothingDave]

I read last year about a hotel, I believe in England, that offered to have someone lie in your bed to warm it up.

Sounds gross to me.

Here it is:

Holiday Inn location in London offers 'human bed warmer' service - a staffer to warm up your sheets - New York Daily News

 

[BobK]

Thanks so much for all your kind and also very interesting replies. Just now I was reading LONGMAN'S COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH (2002) when I came across this phrase again (in Entry 399):

to make a bed (= to prepare the bed for sleeping on).

Then does 'make a/the/my bed' have another meaning (=turn down the bed)?

Thank you again.

'Make + <possessive_pronoun> + bed' does have another meaning- a metaphorical one, nothing to do with turning down beds. It's an abridged form of the proverb 'As you make your bed, so must you lie on it' - meaning you have to suffer the consequences of your own actions. People will often say something like 'He's made his bed...' [=he deserves what he's going to get: another idiom that means the same is '[It] serves him right'.]

b