Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - "K" Idioms doc

425

K
kangaroo court

- an illegal court formed by a group of people to settle a dispute among themselves
The men were convicted by a kangaroo court in the town and nobody agreed with the
decision.

Katie bar the door

- get ready for trouble, a desperate situation is at hand
The gang arrived at the hotel and were ready to come in and fight. "Katie bar the
door."

keel over

- fall over and faint
Three of the members of the band keeled over because of the heat.

keel over

- turn upside down, tip over
The boat keeled over in the middle of the lake but everybody was safe.

keen on (someone or something)

- be enthusiastic about someone or something
My girlfriend is keen on going to a movie this weekend.

426

keep Idioms


keep a civil tongue

- speak decently and politely
The angry customer was asked to keep a civil tongue when talking with the sales
clerk.

keep a close watch on (someone or something)

- monitor or observe someone or something
The woman always keeps a close watch on her child when she is at the shopping
center.

keep a close watch over (someone or something)

- guard or care for someone or something

I kept a close watch over the soup as it was cooking.

keep a secret

- to not tell a secret to others
I have been trying to keep a secret about my friend's boyfriend for a long time now.

keep a stiff upper lip

- be brave, face trouble bravely
The storm victims tried hard to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the hardships of their
situation.

keep a straight face

- stop oneself from smiling or laughing
It was difficult to keep a straight face when the man fell off his chair into the grass.


427

keep a tight/close rein on (someone or something)

- strictly watch and control someone or something
Our principal keeps a tight rein on what is being taught in the classrooms.

keep abreast (of something)

- keep informed about something
I read the newspaper regularly so that I can keep abreast of current events.

keep after/at (someone)

- remind someone over and over about something
I always have to keep after my friend to do her job properly.

keep an eye on (someone or something)

- watch and take care of something (but not just look at something)
"Will you keep an eye on the baby while I go to the store."

keep an eye out for (someone or something)

- watch for the arrival or appearance of someone or something
I kept an eye out for a nice restaurant after I arrived in the small town.

keep at (something)

- persist with something
He has decided to keep at his studies and I am sure that he will succeed.

keep body and soul together

- keep alive, survive
It was very cold during the winter but somehow she was able to keep body and soul
together and survived.


428

keep books

- keep records of money gained and spent, do the work of a bookkeeper
My first job was to keep books for a small company in my hometown.

keep company (with someone)

- associate with or spend much time with someone
I like to keep company with my friends from university.

keep cool

- stay calm
The police officers were trained to keep cool in difficult situations.

keep down (something)

- keep from progressing or growing, keep within limits, control
The students were told to keep down the noise as some of the other classes were
having exams.

keep from (doing something)

- prevent/refrain from doing something
I love ice cream and couldn`t keep from eating three bowls.

keep good time

- work accurately (used for a clock or watch)
My watch has not been keeping good time lately.

keep harping on (something)

- continue to talk or complain about something
The boy's father keeps harping on the fact that his son never does his homework.


429

keep house

- look after a house or a household
She has been keeping house for her father while he is sick.

keep in touch (with someone)

- talk or write to someone
I have always tried to keep in touch with my friends from high school.

keep late hours

- stay up or stay out until very late
My friend keeps late hours now that he is working for the newspaper.

keep off (something)

- stay off someone's land or other property
The students were asked to keep off the grass which was being replanted.

keep on (doing something)

- continue
She is careless and keeps on making the same mistakes over and over.

keep on an even keel

- remain cool and calm
I was very busy with my job and school but I tried very hard to keep on an even keel
and get everything done.

keep on one's toes

- stay alert and watchful
I try to keep on my toes during a class where the teacher may ask me a question.


430

keep one`s chin up

- be brave, be determined
"Try and keep your chin up. Things will get better in the future."

keep one`s cool

- to stay/remain calm
I tried to keep my cool during the argument with my neighbor.

keep one's distance from (someone or something)

- maintain a certain distance from someone or something
The girl always keeps her distance from the other students in the class.

keep one`s eye on the ball

- be watchful and ready for something
"You should keep your eye on the ball or you will make a mistake."

keep one's eyes open

- remain alert and watchful for someone or something
"Please keep your eyes open for a good place to eat so that we can have lunch."

keep one's feet on the ground

- remain firmly established
My friend lost his job but he is trying hard to keep his feet on the ground.

keep one`s fingers crossed

- wish for good results in something one is doing
"Please keep your fingers crossed that I will pass my exam."


431

keep one's hand in (something)

- retain some control of something
My uncle sold his business but he is still trying to keep his hand in some of its

operations.

keep one's hands off (someone or something)

- refrain from touching or handling someone or something
My aunt asked her nephew to keep his hands off her furniture.

keep one`s head

- stay calm when there is trouble or danger
He is a very good leader and is able to keep his head during an emergency.

keep one`s head above water

- have the ability to pay one`s bills
He is having trouble keeping his head above water since his salary decreased.

keep one`s mouth shut

- be/stay silent
I was very angry and I told my friend to keep his mouth shut. Later I had to apologize.

keep one`s nose clean

- stay out of trouble
He has been able to keep his nose clean since he moved to the new town.

432

keep one's nose out of (someone's) business

- refrain from interfering in someone else's business
I try hard to keep my nose out of my friend's business so he doesn't become angry
with me.

keep one`s nose to the grindstone

- work very hard
He is keeping his nose to the grindstone these days and I haven`t had a chance to meet
him.

keep one's opinions to oneself

- don't give your opinion (especially when you disagree with others)
I try to keep my opinions to myself when I talk to my father about the local city
government.

keep one`s own counsel

- keep one`s ideas and plans to oneself
He always keeps his own counsel and never reveals his plans to anyone.

keep one's place

- exhibit behavior suitable to one's position/place in life
I was told to keep my place when I began to complain about the food in the school
cafeteria.

keep one`s shirt on

- be calm, keep from losing one`s temper or becoming too impatient
"Try and keep your shirt on! Everything will be all right in a few minutes."





433

keep one`s wits about one

- stay calm when there is trouble or danger
Although there was a fire in the building, he was able to keep his wits about him and
help everybody to safety.
keep one`s word

- fulfill/keep one`s promise
She never keeps her word, so I don`t believe that she will come to the party as she
said.

keep pace (with someone or something)

- go as fast or go at the same rate as someone or something

It is difficult to keep pace with the other students but somehow I manage.

keep quiet

- remain silent
"Could you please keep quiet and listen to the instructions."

keep (someone) company

- sit and stay with someone (especially someone who is lonely or sick)
I stayed home last night so that I could keep my mother company.

keep (someone) from (doing something)

- prevent someone from doing something
I tried hard to keep my friend from buying a new car.

keep (someone or something) in check

- to keep someone or something under control, to restrain someone or something
The economic policy was designed to keep inflation in check.


434

keep (someone) in line

- make someone behave properly
The teacher is very strict and she knows how to keep her students in line.

keep (someone or something) in mind

- remember and think about someone or something
I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind.

keep (someone) in stitches

- cause someone to laugh continuously
The man kept me in stitches with his funny stories.

keep (someone) on

- allow someone to continue working for you
Although we have too many workers we have decided to keep everybody on until
business improves.

keep (someone) on tenterhooks

- keep someone anxious or in suspense
I was kept on tenterhooks as I waited to hear the results of my exam.

keep (someone) posted

- keep someone informed or up-to-date
I asked my friend to keep me posted on his new job and address.

keep (someone or something) still/quiet

- make someone or something silent or less noisy
The mother had a hard time keeping her child still in the airplane.

435

keep (someone) up

- prevent someone from going to bed
My neighbors kept me up last night with their loud music.

keep (something) down

- keep food in one's stomach (without vomiting it up when sick)
The child was sick and found it difficult to keep his food down.

keep (something) to oneself

- keep something a secret
I asked my friend to keep the news to herself.

keep (something) under one`s hat

- keep a secret, do not tell something
He won`t say where he is going for his holiday. He wants to keep it under his hat.

keep (something) under wraps

- keep something concealed (until some future date)
We decided to keep our plans for the new project under wraps.

keep still

- to not move
I tried to keep still during the long lecture.

keep tabs on (someone or something)

- watch/check/observe someone or something
We have been keeping tabs on the spending of the sales department.


436

keep the ball rolling

- keep up an activity or action, not allow something that is happening to slow or stop
We should try to keep the ball rolling and get most of our work done now.

keep the home fires burning

- keep things going as usual while someone is away
"Don`t worry about anything. I will stay home and keep the home fires burning while
you are on your holiday."

keep the lid on (something)

- restrain something, keep something quiet
The hospital worked hard to keep the lid on the drug scandal.

keep the wolf from the door

- maintain oneself at a basic level
My job pays just enough money to keep the wolf from the door.

keep the wolves at bay

- to fight against some kind of trouble
The university students were angry and the administration had to work hard to keep
the wolves at bay.

keep time

- keep track of the time in a game or athletic contest
I kept time during the football game at our high school.







437

keep time

- keep the beat, keep the same musical rhythm
It is difficult for the girl to keep time when she is playing in the band.

keep time

- to keep accurate time (for a watch or clock)

My old watch will not keep time at all.

keep to oneself

- stay away from other people
Our neighbor is very quiet and likes to keep to herself.

keep track of (someone or something)

- maintain a record of something
"Please carefully keep track of your expenses during the trip."

keep up

- do not stop, continue
We are working hard to keep up the same level of production as last year.

keep up an act

- act in a way that is different from one's natural behavior
I think that the woman is trying to keep up an act even though she has almost no
money.

keep up appearances

- keep an outward show of prosperity or good behavior
He is trying to keep up appearances even though he has lost his job.


438

keep up (something)

- to keep something at the same level, to keep something in good condition
The man spends a lot of time trying to keep up the garden of his house.

keep up with (someone or something)

- go at the same speed as a person or thing, maintain the same rate of progress
I can`t keep up with the rest of the class.

keep up with the news

- keep informed
I read the newspaper every morning in order to keep up with the news.

keep up with the Joneses

- try to be the same as your neighbors
He always worries about keeping up with the Joneses and is always frustrated.

keep up with the times

- stay in fashion
My aunt tries very hard to keep up with the times.

.

(a fine) kettle of fish

- a situation that is not satisfactory, a mess
"This is a fine kettle of fish. What will we do with no water in our house."




439

keyed up

- excited, nervous
I was keyed up after we won the game and I couldn`t go to sleep.

kick Idioms
kick around

- treat badly, act roughly or badly to someone or something
I don`t like her very much because she is always kicking around her employees.

kick around

- lie around and do nothing or only do small tasks
I was tired on Saturday so I kicked around the house all morning.

kick back

- relax and not do much
I`m going to kick back this evening and watch television.

kick in (some money or something)

- contribute some money for something
Everybody kicked in to collect some money for a present for our teacher.

to kick off (something)

- begin/launch/start something
The department store kicked off their summer sale early Saturday morning.






440

a kick-off

- a start
The kick-off for the no smoking campaign will start next week.

kick oneself

- regret something
I kicked myself for not applying for the job sooner.

kick out (someone)

- make someone go or leave, dismiss someone
The boy was kicked out of school because of his bad behavior.

kick/turn over

- a motor starts
At first the engine wouldn`t start because it was too cold but finally it kicked over.

kick the bucket

- die
The man who used to clean the building kicked the bucket last week.

kick the habit

- stop a bad habit
He has been trying to kick his smoking habit for many years.

kick up a fuss/storm

- make trouble, be a nuisance about something
I didn`t think that it was a big problem but my boss kicked up a fuss when I told him
about the accident.


441

kick up one`s heels

- have a good time, celebrate

We kicked up our heels at the farewell party that we attended last week.

a kickback

- money paid illegally for favorable treatment
The construction company gave the politician an illegal kickback in order to win the
contract.

.



kid around (with someone)

- tease and joke with someone
The students were kidding around with the teacher after the class.

kid's stuff

- a very easy task
It was kid's stuff. We were able to fix the stove very easily.

kill off (something)

- kill or end completely, destroy
The pollution in the river has killed off all of the fish.

kill the fatted calf

- prepare a big feast (in someone's honor)

We decided to kill the fatted calf and have a big dinner for my uncle.



442

kill the goose that layed/lays the golden egg

- spoil something that is good or something that one has by being greedy
He was always complaining about his job but now it is gone. He has killed the goose
that layed the golden egg.

kill time

- waste time
We had to kill a lot of time before the movie started.

kill two birds with one stone

- accomplish two things with one action
He was able to kill two birds with one stone by going to the meeting.

killed outright

- killed immediately
The man was killed outright when the truck hit him on the street.

kind of

- moderately, somewhat, more or less

I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night.

kink in my neck

- a cramp in one's neck that causes pain
I woke up this morning with a kink in my neck.

kiss and make up

- forgive someone and be friends again
I want to kiss and make up with my friend after our argument.


443

kiss and tell

- participate in something private and then tell others about it
I don't trust her because she is the kind of person who will kiss and tell.

kiss of death

- an act that puts an end to someone or something
When the girl learned that I knew her teacher, it was the kiss of death. She didn't want
to talk to me anymore.

kiss (something) good-bye

- lose something
"You can kiss your computer good-bye. It is totally destroyed."

kit and caboodle

- the entire amount, everything
I brought the whole kit and caboodle of my fishing supplies when I went fishing.

kith and kin

- friends and relatives
All of our kith and kin attended the anniversary for my parents.

knee-high to a grasshopper

- very young (like a child)
I learned to ride a bicycle when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.








444

knew it was coming

- aware in advance that something was going to happen
I knew it was coming when my boss asked me into her office and told me that the
store would soon close.

knit one's brow

- wrinkle one's brow by frowning
The teacher knit his brow and looked sternly at the child.


knock Idioms
knock about

- travel without a plan, go where one pleases
We decided to go to Brazil and knock about for a couple of months.

a knock-down-drag-out fight

- a serious fight or argument
My friend and his brother had a knock-down-drag-out fight last evening.

Knock it off!

- stop doing something, quit
"Please knock it off! You are going to hurt yourself if you are not careful."

knock off work

- quit work (for the day)
We knocked off work early so that we could go to the championship game.

445

knock on wood

- knock on something made of wood to keep from having bad luck
I don`t think that I will lose my job - knock on wood.

knock one`s head against the wall

- waste time trying to do something with no success
They have been knocking their heads against the wall for years trying to find a
solution to the problem.

knock oneself out

- make a great effort
They really knocked themselves out trying to make the party successful.

knock (some) heads together

- scold some people
The coach decided that he would have to knock some heads together if he wanted to
get the team into the playoffs.

knock (someone) around

- mistreat someone
The boy was sent home from school for knocking around some other members of the
class.

knock (someone) dead

- put on a stunning performance for someone
The performance of the jazz group knocked the audience dead.






446

knock (someone) down (to size)

- make a person more humble
The fact that the golfer lost the tournament helped to knock him down to size.

knock (someone) off

- murder someone
The owner of the shop was knocked off in the robbery last week.

knock (someone) off their feet

- surprise or shock someone so much that he does not know what to do
When they announced that I had won the prize it knocked me off my feet.

knock (someone or something) out

- make someone unconscious, make something unworkable or unusable
The storm last night knocked out power in most of the town.

knock (someone) over with a feather

- surprise someone by something extraordinary
It could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw my friend on TV last night.

knock (someone's) block off

- hit someone very hard (in the head), beat someone up
He was very angry and threatened to knock the block off of anyone who came near
him.

knock (something) back/down

- drink down a drink (usually alcohol)
The medicine tasted terrible but I was able to knock it down.


447

knock (something) off

- finish/do something (often in haste or carelessly)
The small furniture company is able to knock off many tables very fast.

knock the props out from under (someone)

- destroy someone's confidence, destroy someone's emotional/financial/moral base

The teacher knocked the props out from under the student when she criticized the
student's work.

a knockout

- a very beautiful woman
The man said that the woman he saw at the bus stop was a knockout.


know Idioms


know a thing or two (about someone or something)

- be well informed about someone or something
My father works in a software development company and knows a thing or two about
computers.

know a trick or two

- know some special way of dealing with a problem
I know a trick or two about how to handle a customer who is angry or upset.

know all the tricks of the trade

- possess the skills and knowledge necessary to do something
My cousin knows all the tricks of the trade and is a very good plumber.


448

know better (than to do something)

- be smart enough not to do something
I told my friend that she should know better than to phone me at 7:00 AM on a
Saturday morning.

know-how

- knowledge and skill
Our new boss has a lot of know-how about how to operate a business.

not know if one is coming or going

- not know what to do
The new sales manager does not seem to know if he is coming or going.

a know-it-all

- a person who acts as if he or she knows everything
He is a know-it-all and nobody likes to be around him.

know of (someone or something)

- to be aware of someone or something, to have heard of someone or something
I do not know of any good restaurants near my house.

know one's ABCs

- know the most basic things about something

The woman in the bank knows her ABC's and can provide any information that we
need.







449

know one's place

- know the behavior suitable to one's position in life
The boy doesn't know his place and often speaks out when he shouldn't.

know one's stuff

- know about something well
The man know's his stuff and is a very good plumber.

know one's way around/about

- know how to get something done, know about something
My friend knows his way around the city very well.

know (someone or something) by sight

- to know the name and recognize the face of someone or something
I know the professor's name but I do not know him by sight.

know (someone or something) like a book/like an open book

- know someone or something very well
I know the personality of my friend like a book.

know (someone or something) like the back of one's hand

- know someone or something very well
I know the material for the exam like the back of my hand.

know (something) backwards and forwards

- know something very well
I know the names of the people in my history class backwards and forwards.