English Idioms - Alphabetical list K-L

	Idiom	Meaning
K	Keep your finger on the pulse	If you keep your finger on the pulse, you are constantly aware of the most recent events or developments. "A successful investor keeps his finger on the pulse of international business."
	Keep someone posted	If a person asks you to keep them posted, they want you to keep them informed about a situation "Our agent promised to keep us posted on developments in the negotiations."
	Keep up with the Joneses	To say that somebody is trying to keep up with the Joneses means that they are trying to have the same possessions or social achievements as someone else. "First the Browns moved their children to an expensive school. Now the Smiths have done the same. It's silly how some people feel they have to keep up with the Joneses!"
	Keep your fingers crossed	If you keep your fingers crossed, you hope that something will be successful. "I'm doing my driving test tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me."
	Keep the lid on something	If you keep the lid on something, you hide it or control it to prevent people from finding out about it. "The company tried to keep a lid on the negotiations but word got out to the Press."
	Keep a low profile	A person who keeps a low profile tries not to attract public attention. "The inventor is a discreet man who keeps a low profile."
	Keep your nose to the grindstone	A person who keeps their nose to the grindstone is someone who concentrates on working hard at his job.
	Keep a stiff upper lip	If a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings. "When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."
	Keep something under wraps	If something is kept under wraps, it is held secret and not revealed to anyone. "The plan was kept under wraps until the contract was officially signed."
	Kick yourself	If you feel like kicking yourself, you are angry with yourself for something you have done or not done. "I could have kicked myself for forgetting Julie's birthday."
	Get a kick out of something	If you get a kick out of something, you get a feeling of enjoyment or excitement from something. "Tania is a bit strange - she gets a kick out of listening to other people's phone messages."
	Kill two birds with one stone	If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time. "By studying on the train on the way home every week-end, Claire kills two birds with one stone."
	Get your knickers in a twist.	If you get your knickers in twist, you are angry, nervous or upset faced with a difficult situation "Don't get your knickers in a twist! Everything is under control."
	Cut the atmosphere with a knife	To say that you could cut the atmosphere with a knife means that the atmosphere is extremely tense or unfriendly.
	Under the knife	If a person goes under the knife, they have surgery.
	Knock somebody down with a feather	To say "you could have knocked me down with a feather" emphasizes the fact that you were extremely surprised. "When I heard the name of the winner, you could have knocked me down with a feather!"
	Know which side your bread is buttered	If you know which side your bread is buttered, you know where your interests lie, or what will be to your advantage. "Jack never argues with his father-in-law. He knows which side his bread is buttered."
	Knuckle down to something	If someone knuckles down to something, they start to work on it seriously. "If you want to succeed, you'll have to knuckle down to some serious work."
L	Land on your feet	If you land on your feet, you make a quick recovery after a difficulty such as a business failure, an illness, a loss, etc. "Don't worry about Bob. He always lands on his feet!"
	Lash out	If you lash out at somebody, you attack them, usually verbally. "On the ninth hole, Pete suddenly lashed out at Scott and accused him of cheating."
	Lay down the law	Someone who lays down the law tells people very forcefully and firmly what to do. "The volunteers helped in a disorganized way. They needed someone to lay down the law."
	Lead somebody up the garden path	If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you by making you believe something which is not true. "I still haven't got a promotion. I think my boss is leading me up the garden path!"
	Lead to a dead end	If a plan or a project leads to a dead end, it develops no further because it has no future. "In spite of the scientists' efforts, the research lead to a dead end."
	Leave no stone unturned	If you try everything possible in order to achieve something or to find something, you leave no stone unturned. "The management left no stone unturned in their efforts to find a solution to the crisis."
	Leave well alone	If you leave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate. "It would be hard to get a better deal. Let's just leave well alone."
	The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing	This expression means that communication within a group or organization is so bad that people don't know what the others are doing.
	Left to your own devices	If you leave someone to their own devices, you let them look after themselves, without any help. "When left to their own devices, many children watch TV and eat junk food."
	Pull somebody's leg	If you pull somebody's leg, you tease them by telling them something that is not true. "Of course I'm not going to buy a sports car. I was just pulling your leg!"
	Not have a leg to stand on	To say that someone doesn't have a leg to stand on means that they can't prove what they say. "Three people testified against him. He didn't have a leg to stand on."
	On your last legs	If you are on your last legs, you are in a very weak condition or about to die.
	Let me bounce this off you.	You say this when you present an idea or plan to someone in order to test their reaction or obtain feedback. "I think I've found a way of making money. Let me bounce this off you."
	Tell a white lie	To tell a white lie means to say something which is not true in order to protect someone or to avoid hurting their feelings.
	Like a bat out of hell	If something moves like a bat out of hell, it moves very quickly. "He grabbed the envelope and ran like a bat out of hell."
	Like a cat on hot bricks	A person who is like a cat on hot bricks is very nervous or restless. "The week before the results were published, she was like a cat on hot bricks."
	Like death warmed up	If you look like death warmed up, you look very ill or tired. "My boss told me to go home. He said I looked like death warmed up."
	Like a dog with two tails	If somebody is like a dog with two tails, they are extremely happy. "When Paul won the first prize, he was like a dog with two tails."
	Like a moth to a flame	To say that a person is attracted to someone or something like a moth to a flame means that the attraction is so strong they cannot resist. "He's drawn to the casino like a moth to a flame."
	Like something the cat dragged in	If you compare a person or thing to something the cat dragged in, you think they look dirty, untidy or generally unappealing. "My teenage son often looks like something the cat dragged in."
	Like a ton of bricks	If somebody comes down on you like a ton of bricks, they criticize you severely because you have done something wrong.
	Bottom line	If you use the term bottom line in an explanation or discussion, you refer to the most important or fundamental point.
	Cross the line.	To cross the line means to go beyond the authorized limits by doing something unacceptable.
	Read between the lines.	To read between the lines means to understand a situation without a clear explanation or full details.
	Lip service	If you pay lip service to an idea or cause, you give verbal support or approval but fail to actually do anything. "In spite of promising equal pay for women, the management is suspected of paying lip service to the promotion of women's rights."
	Keep a stiff upper lip	If a person keeps a stiff upper lip, they contain their emotion and do not let other people see their feelings. "When she heard the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip."
	Live beyond one's means	If someone lives beyond their means, they spend more money than they earn or can afford. "The cost of living was so much higher in New York that he was soon living beyond his means."
	Live the life of Riley	If you live the life of Riley, you have a comfortable and enjoyable life, without having to work too hard. "He married a millionaire, and since then he's been living the life of Riley."
	Living on borrowed time	This expression refers to a period of time after an illness or accident which could have caused death. " After heart surgery, some patients say they're living on borrowed time."
	Lock, stock and barrel	This expression means 'everything'. "Julie found the apartment empty. David had taken everything - lock, stock and barrel!"
	At loggerheads	If you are at loggerheads with a person or organization, you disagree very strongly with them. "Management and trade unions are at loggerheads over the decision to close down the plant."
	Look down your nose	If someone looks down their nose at a person or thing, they consider that person or thing as inferior. "Intellectuals often look down their noses at amusement parks and such."
	Long in the tooth	A person who is long in the tooth is a bit too old to do something. "She's a bit long in the tooth for a cabaret dancer isn't she?"
	Lose one's touch	If you lose your touch, you no longer have the ability to do something. "I used to be good at organizing trips but I've lost my touch!"
	Lose your train of thought	If you forget what you were saying, for example after a disturbance or interruption, you lose your train of thought. "Where was I? I'm afraid I've lost my train of thought!"
	At a loss	If a person is at a loss, they don't know what to say or do in a particular situation. "Teachers are at a loss to know how to deal with the increase in violence in schools."
	No love lost	To say that there is no love lost between two people means that they do not like each other at all. "There is no love lost between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party."
	At a low ebb	A person or organization at a low ebb is not as strong or successful as usual. "The recent political crisis has left the country at a low ebb."
	A lump in your throat	If you have a lump in your throat, you have a tight feeling in your throat because of a strong emotion such as sadness or gratitude. "The speech was so touching that I had a lump in my throat."