Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[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.

[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. /