Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[kill the goose that laid the golden egg] To spoil something that is good or something that you have, by being greedy.
– A proverb. * /Mrs. Jones gives you an apple from her tree whenever you go by her house, but don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg by bothering her too much./
[kill time] <v. phr.> To cause the time to pass more rapidly; waste time. * /The plane trip to Hong Kong was long and tiring, but we managed to kill time by watching several movies./
[kill two birds with one stone] <v. phr.> To succeed in doing two things by only one action; get two results from one effort. * /Mother stopped at the supermarket to buy bread and then went to get Jane at dancing class; she killed two birds with one stone./ * /The history teacher told us that making an outline kills two birds with one stone; it makes us study the lesson till we understand it, and it gives us notes to review before the test./
[kilter] See: OUT OF KILTER.
[kind] See: IN A WAY also IN A KIND OF WAY, IN KIND.
[kindly] See: TAKE KINDLY TO.
[kind of] or [sort of] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Almost but not quite; rather. * /A guinea pig looks kind of like a rabbit, but it has short ears./ * /Bob was kind of tired when he finished the job./ * /The teacher sort of frowned but then smiled./ * /Mary wouldn't tell what she wanted to be when she grew up; it was sort of a secret./
[kindled spirits] <n. phr.> People who resemble each other in numerous ways, including their ways of thinking and feeling. * /They are kindred spirits; they both like to go on long walks in the forest./
[king's ransom] <n. phr.> 1. An excessively large sum of money extorted by kidnappers to let someone go free. * /The Smith family had to pay a kings ransom for the freedom of their seven-year-old son, Tommy./ 2. An exorbitant fee one is forced to pay. * /The realtors exacted a king's ransom for that choice lot on the comer./
[kiss someone] or [something goodbye] <v. phr.> To lose or give up someone or something forever. * /"If you won't marry Jane," Peter said to Tom, "you might as well kiss her goodbye."/ * /People who bet on a losing horse at the races might as well kiss their money goodbye./
[kite] See: GO FLY A KITE.
[kitten] See: HAVE KITTENS.
[knee] See: BRING TO ONE'S KNEES, IN THE LAP OF THE GODS also ON THE KNEES OF THE GODS, ON ONE'S KNEES, UP TO THE CHIN IN or UP TO THE KNEE IN.
[knee-deep] or [neck-deep] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Very much; deeply; having a big part in. * /Johnny was knee-deep in trouble./ 2. Very busy; working hard at. * /We were neck-deep in homework before the exams./ 3. Getting or having many or much. * /The television station was knee-deep in phone calls./ Compare: UP TO THE CHIN IN.
[knee-high to a grasshopper] also [knee-high to a duck] <adj. phr.>, <informal> As tall as a very small child; very young. * /Charles started reading when he was knee-high to a grasshopper./ * /I've known Mary ever since she was knee-high to a duck./
[kneeling bus] <n.>, <informal> A bus equipped with a hydraulic device to enable it to drop almost to curb level for greater ease of boarding and leaving vehicle, as a convenience for elderly or handicapped passengers. * /The man on crutches was pleased to see the kneeling bus./
[knell] See: DEATH KNELL.
[knit] See: CLOSE-KNIT.
[knitting] See: STICK TO ONE'S KNITTING or TEND TO ONE'S KNITTING.
[knock] See: SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.
[knock about] or [knock around] <v.> To travel without a plan; go where you please. * /After he graduated from college, Joe knocked about for a year seeing the country before he went to work in his father's business./ Compare: KICK AROUND.
[knock back on one's heels] See: SET BACK ON ONE'S HEELS.
[knock cold] <v. phr.>, <informal> To render unconscious. * /The blow on the chin knocked Harry cold./
[knock down] <v. phr.> To reduce; lower. * /The realtors said that if we decided to buy the house, they would knock the price down by 10%./
[knocked out] <adj.>, <slang> Intoxicated; drugged; out of one's mind. * /Jim sounds so incoherent, he must be knocked out./
[knock for a loop] or [throw for a loop] <v. phr.>, <slang> To surprise very much. * /When I heard they were moving, I was really knocked for a loop./ * /The news of their marriage threw me for a loop./
[knock it off] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. To stop talking about something considered not appropriate or nonsensical by the listener.
– Used frequently as an imperative. * /Come on, Joe, knock it off, you're not making any sense at all!/ 2. To cease doing something; to quit.
– Heavily favored in the imperative. * /Come on boys, knock it off, you're breaking the furniture in my room!/
[knock off] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To burglarize someone. * /They knocked off the Manning residence./ 2. To murder someone. * /The gangsters knocked off Herman./
[knock off one's feet] <v. phr.> To surprise (someone) so much that he does not know what to do. * /Her husband's death knocked Mrs. Jones off her feet./ * /When Charlie was given the prize, it knocked him off his feet for a few minutes./ Compare: BOWL OVER(2), SWEEP OFF ONE'S FEET.
[knock one's block off] <v. phr.>, <slang> To hit someone very hard; beat someone up. * /Stay out of my yard or I'll knock your block off./ * /Jim will knock your block off if he catches you riding his bike./
[knock oneself out] <v. phr.>, <informal> To work very hard; make a great effort. * /Mrs. Ross knocked herself out planning her daughter's wedding./ * /Tom knocked himself out to give his guests a good time./ Compare: BREAK ONE'S NECK, FALL OVER BACKWARDS, OUT OF ONE'S WAY.
[knock on wood] <v. phr.> To knock on something made of wood to keep from having bad luck.
– Many people believe that you will have bad luck if you talk about good luck or brag about something, unless you knock on wood; often used in a joking way. * /Charles said, "I haven't been sick all winter." Grandfather said, "You'd better knock on wood when you say that."/