English Idioms and Expressions
Idioms: Actions and Behaviour-9
from: 'keep someone posted' to: 'lick into shape'
- keep someone posted
- If someone 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."
- If someone asks you to keep them posted, they want you to keep them informed about a situation.
- keep things 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."
- If you react to a situation in a sensible way, without exaggerating the importance or seriousness of the facts, you
keep things in proportion.
- 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."
- A person who kicks up a fuss creates a disturbance, especially by complaining or protesting about something.
- kill two birds with the one stone
- If you kill two birds with the one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time.
"By studying on the train on the way home, Claire kills two birds with one stone."
- If you kill two birds with the one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time.
- 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!"
- When you are excessive in your efforts to be helpful or generous, you can harm someone, or kill them with kindness.
- knee-jerk reaction
- The expression ‘knee-jerk reaction’ is used to describe a spontaneous, instinctive or
predictable response to something, without thinking.
"My immediate condemnation of Jason’s aggressive intervention was a knee-jerk reaction which I regretted later when I learned the full details."
- The expression ‘knee-jerk reaction’ is used to describe a spontaneous, instinctive or
predictable response to something, without thinking.
- 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"
- If you lash out at somebody, you attack them, usually verbally.
- laugh something off
- When you laugh about something that has upset or hurt you, to make it seem less important
or to try to show that you do not care, you laugh it off.
"She overheard her colleague's critical remark, but she laughed it off."
- When you laugh about something that has upset or hurt you, to make it seem less important
or to try to show that you do not care, you laugh it off.
- laugh up your sleeve
- If you laugh up your sleeve, you are secretly amused at another person's problems or difficulties.
"Tom felt that his demonstration was confusing and that his colleague was laughing up his sleeve."
- If you laugh up your sleeve, you are secretly amused at another person's problems or difficulties.
- 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."
- If you leave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something
that is acceptable or adequate.
- lend yourself to something
- If you lend yourself to something, you approve of it or become associated with it.
"No decent father would lend himself to violent behaviour."
- If you lend yourself to something, you approve of it or become associated with it.
- let off steam
- A person who lets off steam releases surplus energy or strong feelings
either through intense physical activity or by talking in an unrestrained manner.
"Let's bring the kids to the playground so they can let off steam."
- A person who lets off steam releases surplus energy or strong feelings
either through intense physical activity or by talking in an unrestrained manner.
- let sleeping dogs lie
- If you tell someone to let sleeping dogs lie,
you are asking them not to interfere with a situationor talk about a past disagreement to avoid causingmore problems.
"Look, they've settled their differencesso don't start stirring things up. It's better to let sleeping dogs lie."
- If you tell someone to let sleeping dogs lie,
you are asking them not to interfere with a situationor talk about a past disagreement to avoid causingmore problems.
- let something ride
- When you decide to do nothing about a particular situation and allow it to remain as it is, you let it ride.
"Bill didn't like the way his wife spoke to the operator, but he let it ride because he didn't want another quarrel."
- When you decide to do nothing about a particular situation and allow it to remain as it is, you let it ride.
- lick into shape
- If you make an effort to put someone or something into satisfactory condition or appearance, you lick them into shape.
"I've got to lick this place into shape before my in-laws arrive."
- If you make an effort to put someone or something into satisfactory condition or appearance, you lick them into shape.
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