To reach a decision or form a definite opinion about something; to stop being indecisive and choose a course of action.
This phrase from the early 17th century uses 'make up' in the sense of constructing or completing something, treating the mind as a space that needs to be organized or assembled. The expression reflects the view that decision-making is an active, constructive process rather than passive reception.
This phrase reveals our ancestors' intuitive understanding of decision-making as creative construction - we literally 'make up' or fabricate our choices from available mental materials. The slight impatience often embedded in this phrase reflects our cultural discomfort with prolonged uncertainty and indecision.
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