Idiom alphabetical list

English idioms & idiomatic expressions

List of idioms with their meaning and an example of use.

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Alphabetical list of idioms - K

As keen as mustard

If someone is as keen as mustard, they are very eager, enthusiastic or motivated.

We should ask Emily to join the team. She's as keen as mustard.

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 fingers 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 tabs on

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/leave 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 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 (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 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 up appearances

If you keep up appearances, you hide the real situation and behave as if everything is

still going well.

He managed to keep up appearances so that nobody would guess he had lost his job.

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.

A kickback

This expression 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!

Kiss /say goodbye to something

If you accept as certain that you will not get something that you want very much,

you kiss or say goodbye to it.

There will be no bonus this year, so I can kiss goodbye to the new car I wanted.

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.

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.

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 your socks off

If something amazes you, or impresses you greatly, it knocks your socks off.

The magnitude of the project will knock the socks off everyone in the office.

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 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.

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