| Idiom |
Where Used |
Meaning |
|---|
| kangaroo loose in the top paddock |
|
Denotes a person who is a little crazy. |
| keep a stiff upper lip |
Global |
To exercise self-restraint in the expression of emotion, especially fear or grief. |
| (keep it) on the downlow |
USA (esp. Ebonics and subculture) |
To keep (something) secret, to retain a state of privacy over a matter. |
| keep one's eyes peeled/open/skinned |
Global |
Be observant and perceptive. |
| keep your nose clean |
USA |
To stay out of trouble. |
| king of the castle; lord of the manor |
Global |
A man who is in complete control of his home. |
| (to be) king of the hill |
USA |
To be at the pinnacle of one's field. |
| killing a fly with an elephant gun |
Global |
Using excessive power or thought to handle a small problem. |
| kill the goose that lays the golden eggs |
Global |
To do away with, in one form or another, a source of benefit, intentionally or not. |
| kick the bucket |
Global |
To die. Derived from the slaughter of pigs, the wooden block a pig was hung from during slaughter was referred to as a buque. Thus in the process of killing the pig, it would inevitably kick it. |
| kill two birds with one stone |
Global |
Achieving two desirable effects with one process or action. |
| kick ass, kick butt |
AUS, USA |
Punish harshly or defeat soundly; also used to express extreme approval of a situation - "this concert kicks ass." |
| kick ass and take names |
USA |
Superlative version of the idiom "to kick ass." |
| knock on wood; touch wood |
Global |
Knock on (or touch) unfinished wood to avert the bad luck evoked by making a confident statement (example: "I haven't been sick in twenty years, knock on wood.") By 'knocking on wood', the speaker hopes to prevent their remarkable good health from suddenly ending because they've bragged about it. The custom comes from the hope of evoking the care of spirits that live in trees (druids). |
| knock up |
USA |
To make pregnant. A somewhat vulgar term. |
| kith and kin |
|
Family. |