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[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."/

[knockout] <n.>, <slang> 1. Strikingly beautiful woman. * /Sue is a regular knockout./ 2. A straight punch in boxing that causes one's opponent to fall and lose consciousness. * /The champion won the fight with a straight knockout./

[knock out] <v. phr.> To make helpless, unworkable, or unusable. * /The champion knocked out the challenger in the third round./ * /The soldier knocked out two enemy tanks with his bazooka./

[knock over] <v. phr.> To overturn; upset. * /I accidentally knocked over the Chinese lamp that fell on size floor and broke./

[knock the living daylights out of] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To render (someone) unconscious (said in exaggeration). * /The news almost knocked the living daylights out of me./

[knock the stuffing out of] See: KNOCK THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF.

[knot] See: TIE IN KNOTS, TIE THE KNOT.

[knotty problem] <n. phr.> A very complicated and difficult problem to solve. * /Doing one's income tax properly can present a knotty problem./

[know] See: FOR ALL ONE KNOWS, GOD KNOWS or GOODNESS KNOWS or HEAVEN KNOWS, IN THE KNOW, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN or NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO JUMP.

[know a thing or two about] <v. phr.> To be experienced in; have a fairly considerable knowledge of. * /Tom has dealt with many foreign traders; he knows a thing or two about stocks and bonds./

[know enough to come in out of the rain] <v. phr.> To have good sense; know how to take care of yourself. - Usually used in the negative. * /Bob does so many foolish things that his mother says he doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain./ * /Sally may look stupid, but she knows enough to come in out of the rain./

[know-how] <n.>, <slang> Expertise; ability to devise and construct. * /The United States had the know-how to beat the Soviet Union to the moon in 1969./

[know if one is coming or going] or [know whether one is coming or going] <v. phr.> To feel able to think clearly; know what to do. Usually used in the negative or with limiters. * /On Monday, the car broke down; on Tuesday, Mother broke her arm; on Wednesday, the children all became ill with the mumps; by Thursday, poor Father didn't know if he was coming or going./ * /My cousin is so much in love that she scarcely knows whether she's coming or going./ Compare: IN A FOG.

[know in one's bones] See: FEEL IN ONE'S BONES.

[know-it-all] <n.> A person who acts as if he knows all about everything; someone who thinks no one can tell him anything new. * /After George was elected as class president, he wouldn't take suggestions from anyone; he became a know-it-all./ - Also used like an adjective. * /The other students didn't like George's know-it-all attitude./

[knowledge] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING, TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

[know one in high places] <v. phr.> To be connected with people in power. * /Ted's grandfather was the mayor of Chicago so he knows people in high places./

[know one is alive] <v. phr.> Not to notice a person. - Used with negative or limiting words and in questions. * /She was a good-looking girl but she didn't know I was alive./ Compare: GIVE A HANG.

[know one's own mind] <v. phr.> To no( hesitate or vacillate; be definite in one's ideas or plans. * /It is impossible to do business with Fred, because he doesn't know his own mind./

[know one's place] <v. phr.> To be deferential to one's elders or superiors. * /Ken is a talented teaching assistant, but he has a tendency to tell the head of the department how to run things. Somebody ought to teach him to know his place./

[know one's way around] or [know one's way about] <v. phr.> 1. To understand how things happen in the world; he experienced in the ways of the world. * /The sailor had been in the wildest ports in the world. He knew his way around./ Compare: HAVE BEEN AROUND. 2. or <informal> [know one's onions] or [know one's stuff] To have experience and skill in an activity. * /Before trying to make any pottery, it is better to get advice from someone who knows his stuff in ceramics./ Compare: DRY BEHIND THE EARS.

[know something inside out] <v. phr.> To be extremely well conversant with something; be an expert in; have thorough knowledge of. * /Tom knows the stock market inside out./

[know the ropes] See: THE ROPES.

[know the score] See: THE SCORE.

[know what's what] See: KNOW SOMETHING INSIDE OUT.

[know which side one's bread is buttered on] <v. phr.> To know who can help you and try to please him; know what is for your own gain. * /Dick was always polite to the boss; he knew which side his bread was buttered on./

[know which way to turn] See: NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN.

[knuckle] See: BUCKLE DOWN or KNUCKLE DOWN, RAP ONE'S KNUCKLES.

[knuckle down] See: BUCKLE DOWN.

[knuckle under] <v. phr.> To do something because you are forced to do it. * /Bobby refused to knuckle under to the bully./ Compare: GIVE IN.

L

[labor movement] <n.> Groups which form, strengthen, and increase membership in labor unions. * /His father was connected with the labor movement in the 1920's./

[labor of love] <n. phr.> Something done for personal pleasure and not pay or profit. * /Building the model railroad was a labor of love for the retired engineer./

[labor the point] See: BELABOR THE POINT.

[labor under] <v. phr.> To be the victim of; suffer from. * /Ken is obviously laboring under the delusion that Jennifer will marry him out of love./

[lace into] or [tie into] <v.>, <informal> To attack physically or with words; begin to hit or criticize. * /The boxer laced into his opponent./ * /The critics laced into the new movie./ Syn.: LAY INTO, RIP INTO. Compare: GIVE IT TO.

[ladies' room] <n. phr.> A public toilet and restroom for women. * /Can you please tell me where the ladies' room is?/

[lady friend] <n.> 1. A woman friend. * /His aunt stays with a lady friend in Florida during the winter./ 2. A woman who is the lover of a man. - Used by people trying to appear more polite, but not often used by careful speakers. * /The lawyer took his lady friend to dinner./ Syn.: GIRLFRIEND.

[lady-killer] <n.>, <informal> 1. Any man who has strong sex appeal toward women. * /Joe is a regular lady-killer./ 2. A man who relentlessly pursues amorous conquests, is successful at it, and then abandons his heartbroken victims. * /The legendary Don Juan of Spain is the most famous lady-killer of recorded history./ Compare: LADY'S MAN.

[lady of the house] <n. phr.> Female owner, or wife of the owner, of the house; the hostess. * /"Dinner is served," the lady of the house announced to her guests./

[lady's man] <n.> A man or boy who likes to be with women or girls very much and is popular with them. * /Charlie is quite a lady's man now./

[lake] See: GO JUMP IN THE LAKE.

[laid out] <adj.> Arranged. * /Her house is very conveniently laid out./

[laid up] <adj.> Sick; confined to bed. * /I was laid up for a couple of weeks with an ear infection./

[lam] See: ON THE LAM.

[lamb] See: GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, IN TWO SHAKES OF A LAMB'S TAIL.

[lame duck] <n.>, <informal> An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat diminished powers. * /In the last year of their second terms, American presidents are lame ducks./

[land] See: FAT OF THE LAND, LAY OF THE LAND also HOW THE LAND LIES.

[land all over] See: JUMP ON.

[landing ship] <n.> A ship built to land troops and army equipment on a beach for an invasion. * /The landing ship came near the beach, doors in the bow opened, and marines ran out./

[land-office business] <n.>, <informal> A great rush of business. * /It was a hot day, and the drive-ins were doing a land-office business in ice cream and cold drinks./

[land of nod] <n. phr.> Sleep. * /The little girl went off to the land of nod./

[land on] See: JUMP ON.

[land on one's feet] also [land on both feet] <v. phr.>, <informal> To get yourself out of trouble without damage or injury and sometimes with a gain; be successful no matter what happens. * /No matter what trouble he gets into, he always seems to land on his feet./ * /Mary lost her first job because she was always late to work, but she landed on her feet and soon had a better job./

[landslide] <n.> An overwhelming victory during a political election. * /Ronald Reagan won the election of 1980 in a landslide./

[lane] See: LOVERS' LANE.

[lap] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY, IN THE LAP OF THE GODS.

[lap up] <v.> 1. To eat or drink with the tip of the tongue. * /The kitten laps up its milk./ 2. <informal> To take in eagerly. * /She flatters him all the time and he just laps it up./ * /William is interested in rockets and space, and he laps up all he can read about them./ Syn.: EAT UP(3).

[lardhead] <n.>, <slang> A stupid or slow-witted person. * /You'll never convince Donald; he's a lardhead./

[large] See: AT LARGE, BY AND LARGE.

[large as life] See: BIG AS LIFE.

[large-eyed] See: ROUND-EYED.