Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[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.