www.learn-english-today.com

 lessons-exercises •  vocabulary    business english    proverbs  • wordgames  •  phrasal verbs  •  resources  •   fun  •   news  •   home • 


 ENGLISH  IDIOMS  &  IDIOMATIC  EXPRESSIONS


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."

 
 
 

 Other
 Lists:

A

B C D E F G H I-J L M N O P Q-R S T U-V W-Z

more idioms               home


 

copyright k.beke.  all rights reserved.