English idioms - Alphabetical list K

	Idiom	Meaning
K	Keep your back covered	If you do something in case a problem arises later for which you might be blamed, you keep your back covered. "You'd better make a copy of that letter to keep your back covered."
	Keep body and soul together	If someone is able to keep body and soul together, they manage to survive. "He was unemployed and homeless, but he somehow managed to keep body and soul together."
	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 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 a level head	If you keep a level head, you remain calm and sensible no matter how difficult or distressful the situation may be. "All through the hijacking the pilot kept a level head."
	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 your options open	When you keep your options open, you postpone making a decision so that you can chose among several possible courses of action. "The offer sounds good, but keep your options open until you're sure it's the best choice."
	Keep something in proportion	If you react to a situation in a sensible way, without exaggerating the importance or seriousness of the facts, you keep things in proportion. "Yes, we've got a problem, but let's try to keep things in proportion."
	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."
	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 tabs on something	If you keep tabs on something, you keep it under careful observation. "With the rising cost of petrol, we'd better keep tabs on our travel expenses."
	Keep up appearances	A person who keeps up appearances maintains an outward show of prosperity or well-being in order to hide their difficulties from others. "He continued to keep up appearances even when business was bad."
	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 the wolf from the door	In order to keep the wolf from the door, you need to have enough money to buy food and other essentials. "My grandparents earned barely enough to keep the wolf from the door."
	Kick up a fuss	A person who kicks up a fuss creates a disturbance, especially by complaining or protesting about something. "The service was so slow in the restaurant that several customers began to kick up a fuss."
	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."
	Kickback	This term refers to money paid illegally for favourable treatment. "The property developers were accused of giving kickbacks to the local authorities."
	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."
	Kill with kindness	When you are excessive in your efforts to be helpful or generous, you can harm someone, or kill them with kindness. "The children are overweight, but their grandmother continues to give them chocolates and cookies - she'll kill them with kindness!"
	On its knees	When something such as a country or organization is on its knees or brought to its knees, it is in a very weak situation. "The civil war brought the country to its knees."
	Knee-high to a grasshopper	This term refers to a very young and small child "Look how tall you are! Last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper!
	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!"
	Knock (some) sense into somebody	When you knock sense into somebody, you use strong words or methods in order to get that person to stop behaving stupidly. "When Jason announced that he was going to drop out of college, his father managed to knock some sense into him."
	Know the score	When you know the score, you are well-informed about a situation and know what to expect "If Julie damages the car, her dad won't lend it to her again. She knows the score."
	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."
	Know which way the wind blows	This expression means that it is advisable to know how a situation is developing in order to be prepared for the changes that are likely to happen. "Before we decide on anything, we need to know which way the wind is blowing."
	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."