K.
— K. (sl.): thousand >He makes a hundred K. a year, easy.
KAPUT
* kaput (kә pŭt´/kә pūt´) (sl.): ruined, finished, unsuccessful, broken >If Doyle pulls out, the whole operation’s kaput. >Nothing’s happenin’—the TV’s kaput.
— go kaput (sl.): become ruined, fail, break down >All of a sudden the washing machine went kaput—it just stopped.
KEEN
— keen (sl., dtd.): excellent, wonderful >That was a really keen ride! Can we go on it again?
KEEP
— keep (a/the/[one’s]) ... (see entry under ... noun)
— keep on trucking (see TRUCKING)
— keep [s/thing] under [one’s] hat (colloq.): keep [s/thing] secret or confidential >I heard some real juicy gossip about Gibson, but you’ve got to keep it under your hat.
— keep up with the Joneses (... jōn´zәz) (colloq.): not be outdone materially or socially by (one’s) neighbors or colleagues >They went broke trying to keep up with the Joneses.
KEEPER
— keeper (sl.): thing or person worth keeping, thing or person not to be discarded or lost >The book is OK, but it’s not a keeper. >Don’t ruin it with that neat girl—she’s a keeper.
KEEPERS
— finders keepers(, losers weepers)! (see FINDERS)
KEEPING
— where (have) you been keeping yourself? (see WHERE)
KEEPS
* for keeps1 (colloq.): permanently, for always >You can have my ring for keeps. >They’re together now for keeps.
— for keeps2 (colloq.): with serious intent, seriously and definitively (also adj.) >Don’t mess with that thug—he plays for keeps. >This isn’t a game. This trial is for keeps.
KEESTER
— keester (see “KEISTER”)
KEGGER
— kegger (ke´gәr) (sl.): party with kegs of beer, beer party >The fraternity’s gonna have a kegger after final exams.
KEISTER
— keister (kē´stәr) (sl.): buttocks, rump >Get off your keister and help us out!
KETTLE OF FISH
— kettle of fish (colloq.): troublesome situation, predicament, mess >That’s a fine kettle of fish he’s gotten himself into by lying.
KEY
— key (sl.): kilogram (of an illicit drug) >The cops found five keys of marijuana on the boat.
KIBITZ
— kibitz (kib´its) (vi) (colloq.): look on and offer uninvited advice or comments >Morley loves to stand behind us and kibitz while we’re trying to concentrate.
KIBOSH
— put the kibosh on (…kī´ bäsh/ki bäsh´…) (colloq.): put an end to, halt (esp. a plan or activity) >I hear the school board put the kibosh on that after-school program.
KICK
* kick1 (colloq.): enjoyable or exciting experience or person, thrill >Taking the rapids in a raft is a real kick. >Your funny brother-in-law’s a kick.
— kick2 (colloq.): ability to intoxicate >This vodka’s a hundred proof. It’s really got a kick.
** kick3 (vt) (sl.): free (oneself) of or give up (s/thing addictive) >He’s been snortin’ cocaine so long I don’t think he can kick the habit. >I got to kick these damn cigarettes.
— kick4 (vi) (colloq.): complain, voice objections >The farmers are kicking because the government lowered some price subsidies. >You ain’t got nothing to kick about in this easy job.
— kick5 (vt) (sl.): release from custody >The cops didn’t have any real evidence, so they kicked him.
* could kick [oneself] (colloq.): regret (one’s action), be angry with [oneself] >I could kick myself for not investing with them three years ago. >Stu kicked himself when he found out what he’d missed.
** get a kick out of (colloq.): very much enjoy, become thrilled or excited by >I really get a kick out of watching my dogs play.
— ... kick (colloq.): intense but short-lived interest in ..., ... fad >The robotic pet kick didn’t last long.
* kick around1 (vt) (colloq.): mistreat, treat unjustly >I’m tired of being kicked around by my supervisor.
* kick around2 (vt) (colloq.): discuss, consider the merits of (an idea or proposal) >Management kicked his idea around for a while, but finally decided against it.
— kick around3 (vi) (colloq.): move from place to place or job to job (for a certain period), be on the move (instead of settling down) >He kicked around for a few years on the East Coast before finally buying a house in Seattle.
** kick [s/one’s] ass (vulg.): defeat [s/one] decisively, beat [s/one] up >The team got their ass kicked on Friday. >Dwayne picked the fight, but the dude kicked his ass.
* kick back1 (vi) (colloq.): relax, take it easy >I need a couple of days to kick back before I take on another project.
* kick back2 (vt) (colloq.): pay (an amount or percentage to a person whose influential intervention makes an income possible) (esp. when unethical or illicit) >They kick back ten percent to the supervisor who arranges the contracts.
* kick [s/one’s] butt (sl., freq. vulg.): defeat [s/one] decisively, beat [s/one] up >We’re gonna kick their butts in the playoffs. >Don’t mouth off, or I’ll kick your butt!
* kick in1 (vt) (colloq.): contribute, pay (one’s share) >If everyone kicks in ten bucks we can buy a keg of beer.
* kick in2 (vi) (colloq.): become mechanically engaged, take effect, start up >It was so hot the air conditioning kicked in by ten in the morning. >I hope that aspirin kicks in pretty soon, because this headache’s pretty bad.
— kick in the teeth (sl.): unexpected shock, undeserved and surprising mistreatment >It was a real kick in the teeth when he found out she’d been goin’ out with other guys behind his back.
** kick off1 (vt) (colloq.): inaugurate, initiate (s/thing planned) >He’s going to kick off his campaign next week.
— kick off2 (vi) (sl.): die (esp. of old age) >The old man got pneumonia and kicked off a week later.
** kick out (vt) (colloq.): eject, dismiss, oust >They kicked him out of school for missing too many classes. >If you don’t pay your dues, you’re going to get kicked out of the club.
* kick (some) ass (vulg.): discipline or punish (s/one), control (a group) with strictness or power tactics >The coach is really gonna kick ass after the lousy way the team played last night. >We need a new manager to come in here and kick some ass.
— kick (some) butt (sl., freq. vulg.): discipline or punish (s/one), control (a group) with strictness or power tactics >Dad’s gonna kick butt when he sees this mess. >If they get outta line he’ll start kickin’ some butt.
— kick the bucket (sl.): die >He came into a lot of dough when his old man kicked the bucket.
— kick the can down the road (colloq.): postpone dealing with (a complex problem), choose to delay making a difficult decision >The board never takes care of the problem. They just keep kicking the can down the road.
— beat/kick the heck out of (see HECK)
— beat/kick the hell out of (see HELL)
— beat/knock/kick the (living) shit out of (see SHIT)
— kick up [one’s] heels (colloq.): celebrate, behave uninhibitedly >The cowboys really like to kick up their heels in the local bars when they come into town.
* on a ... kick (colloq.): having an intense but short-lived interest in ..., following a ... fad >Jan’s been on a science fiction kick the last few weeks.
KICK-ASS
— kick-ass (sl., freq. vulg.): aggressive, uncompromising, severe >His kick-ass management style turned this company around. >He’s a kick-ass coach who wins a lot of games.
KICKBACK
* kickback (colloq.): an amount or percentage given to a person whose influential intervention makes an income possible (esp. when unethical or illicit) >That crooked city manager’s made a bundle of money from contractor kickbacks over the years.
KICKER
— kicker (colloq.): drawback, unexpected disadvantage, unexpected outcome >He’s gorgeous and sweet as can be, but the kicker is that he’s gay. >The kicker was that when they got to his house, they found out he had left to go see them.
KICKING
— alive and kicking (see ALIVE)
— still kicking (colloq.): still alive >She’s real old and a little senile, but still kicking.
KICKOFF
* kickoff (colloq.): inauguration, beginning (of s/thing planned) >The mayor’s going to speak at the kickoff for the festival.
KICKS
* kicks (colloq.): capricious or mischievous fun, thrills or amusement >They were driving around breaking windows just for kicks. >He gets his kicks racing motorcycles.
KID
** kid1 (kid) (colloq.): child or young person, son or daughter >He’s in charge? Why, he’s just a kid. >She’s only twenty-two, and she’s already got four kids.
** kid2 (vi, vt) (colloq.): jest or joke (with), tease >No, not really, I’m just kidding. >Don’t let Davis kid you. It’s not as easy as he says.
— kid3 (voc.) (colloq.): friend, sweetheart (used esp. with s/one younger or to show intimacy) >Hey, don’t worry, kid—you’ll learn the ropes. >You’re looking good today, kid.
— I kid you not (colloq.): I’m serious, I’m not joking >He was too wearing pantyhose! I kid you not.
** kid around (with) (colloq.): jest or joke (with), tease >Stop kidding around! Tell me exactly what happened. >Don’t get mad! I just like to kid around with you.
— kid brother/sister (colloq.): younger brother/sister >It was my kid sister’s idea.
— new kid on the block (see NEW)
— the kid (sl.): I, me >Don’t mess with the kid, or I’ll knock your block off.
KIDDING
** no kidding (... kid´ing) (colloq.): honestly, truthfully, really >No kidding? You really got the job? >Your smoking bothers me a lot—no kidding.
KIDDO
— kiddo (kid´ō) (voc.) (colloq.): friend, sweetheart (used esp. with s/one younger or to show intimacy) >Give me a kiss, kiddo.
KIDDY
* kiddy (kid´ē) (colloq.): child (esp. a young one) (also adj.) >We have a special show for the kiddies. >Julie, you have to stay in the kiddy end of the pool.
KID STUFF
* kid stuff (kid ...) (colloq.): s/thing that is very easy or infantile >Making those shelves will be kid stuff, Andrea. >Do we have to do these exercises? They’re kid stuff.
KIKE
— kike (kīk) (sl., pej.): Jew (also adj.) >You’d better not call anyone a kike in this part of town. >I hate it when he calls it the kike neighborhood.
KILL
* kill1 (vt) (colloq.): overwhelm, astonish, perturb >It kills me how he completely ignores his wife.
* kill2 (vt) (colloq.): delight, make laugh >That guy kills me with his impersonations of actors.
* kill3 (vt) (colloq.): completely consume, finish off (esp. a quantity of liquor) >Debbie and Pat killed that bottle of sherry last night.
* (about) kill (vt) (colloq.): be a great sacrifice or painful experience for >It about killed her when she found out her son was using drugs. >It killed me to pay that much, but I had no choice.
— dress to kill (see DRESS)
— kill it (sl.): give an outstanding or perfect performance, be very successful >She was killin’ it with that song and her fans went wild. >I just know I’ll get the job ‘cause I killed it in the interview.
* would kill (colloq.): would pay any price, be willing to make a great sacrifice >I’d kill for a hot cup of coffee right about now. >Most people would kill to have the kind of job you have.
KILLER
* killer1 (colloq.): very painful or demanding activity or experience (also adj.) >Loading that truck was a killer. >The real killer was having to march twenty miles with full packs. >They say that prof gives killer exams.
* killer2 (sl.): sensational or very impressive performance or experience (also adj.) >His latest concert’s a real killer. >She gave a killer performance in that movie. >He’s got a killer smile.
— killer3 (colloq., sarc.): presumably tough or fearsome person (also voc.) >Oh, yeah, Ralphie’s a real killer—I’m shaking in my boots, I’m so afraid. >Hey, killer, does your mommy know you’re out this late?
KILLING
* make a killing (colloq.): make an unusually large profit, earn a lot of money >He made a killing in real estate last year.
KILTER
— out of kilter (... kil´tәr) (colloq.): not working well, not adjusted properly >Feels like the front-wheel alignment’s a little out of kilter.
KIND
** kind of1 (colloq.): somewhat, rather, fairly >She’s no beauty queen, but she’s kind of pretty. >I kind of wanted to see the other movie. >I thought this would go fast, but it’s going kind of slow.
** kind of2 (colloq.): amount of (money) (esp. seen as a large amount) >For the kind of dough Crenshaw makes, he can take a little criticism. >What kind of money are we talking about on this deal?
— some kind of (a) (see SOME)
KINDA
** kinda (kīn´dә) (colloq.): kind of >What kinda ice cream ya got? >He’s kinda short for pro basketball.
KINDS
— all kinds (of ...) (see ALL)
KINGDOM
— kingdom come (colloq.): very remote place or future time >The bomb blew the house to kingdom come. >I thought that boring guy was going to keep talking till kingdom come.
KINGPIN
— kingpin (colloq.): leader, person of critical importance (esp. in a criminal organization) >They’re trying to nail the kingpin of drug distribution in this area.
KINKY
* kinky (sl.): sexually bizarre >What they do with those leather straps is pretty kinky. >Do they go in for kinky sex?
KISS
* kiss ([s/one’s]) ass (vulg.): be servile or obsequious (to [s/one]) to gain favor (with) or adulate ([him/her]), flatter ([s/one]) to gain favor >You think kissin’ my ass is gonna get ya anywhere? >He got the promotion by kissin’ ass.
* kiss [s/thing] good-bye (sl.): give [s/thing] up, accept [s/thing] as lost >You can kiss your inheritance good-bye if ya get the old lady mad at ya.
— kiss off (vt) (sl.): give up, accept as lost, see (oneself) rid of >I kissed off my promotion when I disagreed with the boss. >Honey, you’d better kiss that jerk off.
— kiss off! (sl.): go away! stop annoying me! >Kiss off! I ain’t interested. >He told the door-to-door salesman to kiss off.
* kiss my ass! (vulg.): (interj. to express great anger or contempt to s/one) >Me, apologize to you? Kiss my ass!
* kiss up to (sl.): be servile or obsequious to in order to gain favor, adulate, flatter to gain favor >He thinks he’ll get to direct ‘cause he kisses up to the producer.
KISS-ASS
* kiss-ass (vulg.): person who is servile or obsequious to gain favor, adulator, servile flatterer (also adj.) >Some kiss-ass was tellin’ the boss how good he looked in his new suit. >Her kiss-ass assistant always agrees with her.
KISSER
— kisser (sl.): mouth area, face >He got slugged right in the kisser.
KISS-OFF
— the kiss-off (sl.): a dismissal, an act of firing or rejection >The store gave Drew the kiss-off four months ago, and he hasn’t worked since.
KIT
— the (whole) kit and caboodle (... kә būd´l) (colloq.): the whole lot, the complete package, everything involved >At the spa she had a mud bath, massage, facial, manicure—the whole kit and caboodle.
KITCHEN SINK
— everything but the kitchen sink (see EVERYTHING)
KITE
— (as) high as a kite (see HIGH)
— go fly a kite! (see FLY)
— higher than a kite (see HIGHER)
KITTENS
— have kittens (sl.): become furious, lose emotional control >Mom will have kittens if she finds out what I did.
KITTY
** kitty (kit´ē) (colloq.): kitten, cat (also voc.) >Look at the pretty kitty! >Here kitty, kitty!
KLEENEX
** Kleenex (klē´neks) (colloq.): disposable paper tissue, paper handkerchief >Marge used up two boxes of Kleenex when she had her cold.
KLEPTO
— klepto (klep´tō) (sl.): kleptomaniac >That clown’s a damn klepto—he’ll swipe anything he can get his hands on.
KLUTZ
* klutz (kluts) (sl.): clumsy or awkward person, bungler >Don’t let that klutz handle the dishes!
KLUTZY
* klutzy (klut´sē) (sl.): clumsy, awkward, inept >We’re gonna have to fire that klutzy secretary. He manages to screw up everything.
KNEECAP
— kneecap (vt) (sl.): impede, cripple >They kneecapped the investigation by destroying those documents.
KNEE-JERK
— knee-jerk (colloq.): reacting automatically or unthinkingly (according to an ingrained attitude or philosophy) >The knee-jerk reactionaries are going to holler as soon as they hear this proposal. >Cut out the knee-jerk reactions and think things through.
KNEES
— cut [s/one] off at the knees (see CUT)
KNEE-SLAPPER
— knee-slapper (colloq.): very funny joke, story or routine >His bit about the cross-eyed highway patrolman was a real knee-slapper.
KNIFE
— stab/knife [s/one] in the back (see STAB)
— under the knife (colloq.): in surgery, having an operation >She goes under the knife tomorrow to have a tumor removed.
KNOCK
— knock1 (sl.): critical remark, instance of criticism >If ya go into politics, ya gotta be able to take the knocks.
* knock2 (vt) (sl.): criticize, find fault with >Don’t knock it—it’s better than nothin’. >Mom’s always knockin’ the guys I hang around with.
— knock around1 (vt) (colloq.): beat, physically abuse >He started knocking her around, so she moved out.
— knock around2 (vi) (colloq.): pass time idly, wander aimlessly >Me and Grover knocked around together when we were kids. >We knocked around downtown for a couple of hours, then came home.
— knock back (vt) (sl.): drink quickly, gulp down (esp. an alcoholic drink) >He knocked back three shots of whiskey in a row.
— knock [s/one’s] block off (sl.): beat [s/one] up, thrash [s/one] >Shut up, or I’ll knock your block off!
— knock [s/one] dead (sl.): greatly surprise or impress [s/one], delight [s/one] >You’re gonna knock ‘em dead with those magic tricks, kid.
— knock down (vt) (sl.): receive as salary or income >He knocks down about five grand a month.
— take/knock [s/one] down a peg (or two) (see TAKE)
— knock/cut [s/one] down to size (colloq.): destroy [s/one’s] arrogance or presumptuousness, deflate [s/one] >She really knocked that pompous ass down to size by correcting him every time he said something wrong.
— knock [s/one] for a loop (colloq.): hit [s/one] very hard >The bull charged and knocked him for a loop.
— throw/knock [s/one] for a loop (see THROW)
** knock off1 (vt) (sl.): stop (an undesirable activity) (used esp. as a command) >Knock off the yellin’! I can’t hear a thing on TV. >Ya know I don’t like ya badmouthin’ my mother, so knock it off!
* knock off2 (vt) (colloq.): reduce (a certain amount from the price of s/thing) >I’ll knock ten bucks off the price if you buy them both.
— knock off3 (vi) (colloq.): stop working, cease work for a while >We’ve put in ten hours on this—let’s knock off for today.
— knock off4 (vt) (sl.): kill, murder >The mafia had him knocked off ‘cause he informed on ‘em.
— knock off5 (vt) (sl.): rob (an establishment) (esp. when armed) >The robbers knocked off five banks in three days.
— knock off6 (vt) (sl.): eat or drink quickly, devour, guzzle >He was hungry! He knocked off two big steaks and two baked potatoes in no time.
* knock out1 (vt) (colloq.): destroy, eliminate, make inoperable >The missile knocked the tank out. >The scandal knocked him out of the race. >The power got knocked out in the storm.
— knock out2 (vt) (colloq.): produce quickly or easily >That author knocks out at least three books a year.
* knock [oneself] out (colloq.): work hard, put out great effort (to reach a goal) >She knocked herself out getting the party together.
— knock over (vt) (sl.): rob (an establishment) (esp. when armed) >The junkie knocked over a liquor store to get money for drugs.
— knock [s/one’s] socks off (sl.): greatly surprise or impress [s/one], delight [s/one] >Her great singing’s gonna knock their socks off.
— beat/knock the (living) daylights out of (see DAYLIGHTS)
— beat/knock/kick the (living) shit out of (see SHIT)
— beat/knock the stuffing out of (see STUFFING)
— beat/knock the tar out of (see TAR)
* knock up (vt) (sl., freq. vulg.): make pregnant >Her old man wanted to know who knocked her up.
— knock yourself out! (sl.): go for it!, give it your best effort >So ya think ya can do it better? Knock yourself out!
KNOCK-DOWN-DRAG-OUT
* knock-down-drag-out (colloq.): hard-hitting or violent (fight), action-filled (fight) (also noun) >It was a knock-down-drag-out fight that almost destroyed the place. >The neighbors were having a knock-down-drag-out last night.
KNOCKED
— have [s/thing] knocked (sl.): be assured of success with [s/thing], have [s/thing] virtually achieved >If we can get Barney’s support we got this project knocked. >They have it knocked with the grant they’re gettin’.
* knocked up (sl., freq. vulg.): pregnant >When she found out she was knocked up, she ran away from home.
KNOCKERS
— knockers (sl., freq. vulg.): (woman’s) breasts (esp. large or shapely ones) >He says she has nice knockers on her.
KNOCKOUT
* knockout (colloq.): extremely attractive person (esp. a woman) >Patsy’s really pretty, and her sister’s a knockout, too.
KNOT
— tie the knot (see TIE)
KNOTHEAD
— knothead (colloq.): stupid or inept person, fool >That knothead’s confusing everyone.
KNOW
* in the know (colloq.): having special or secret knowledge or information, well-informed >Those in the know are buying up that stock.
— know [s/thing] backward(s) and forward(s) (see BACKWARD)
— know [s/thing] cold (see COLD)
— know [s/thing] inside out (see INSIDE)
— know [one’s] stuff (see STUFF)
— know the drill (see DRILL)
— know the score (see SCORE)
— know [one’s] way around ([s/thing, s/where]) (see WAY)
* not (even) know [s/one] is alive (colloq.): not notice [s/one] at all, not give [s/one] any attention >He’s so dreamy, but he doesn’t even know I’m alive.
** not know about (colloq.): have doubts or suspicions about >I don’t know about that guy—there’s something weird about him.
* not know/can’t tell [one’s] ass from a hole in the ground (vulg.): not know what [one] is doing or saying, be incompetent, be stupid or ignorant >Don’t take Lew’s word on it. He don’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. >You can’t tell your ass from a hole in the ground, so shut up!
— not know from (sl.): know nothing about >Why ask me how to set the timing? I don’t know from car engines.
— not know/can’t tell [s/thing] from a hole in the ground (sl.): be completely ignorant about [s/thing], know nothing about [s/thing] >Jimmy, do a tune-up? He doesn’t know a spark plug from a hole in the ground.
* not know [s/one] from Adam (... ad´әm) (colloq.): be completely unacquainted with [s/one], not recognize [s/one] at all >He greeted me like a long-lost friend, but I didn’t know him from Adam.
— not know shit from shinola (... shit ... shī´nō´lә) (vulg.): not know what (one) is doing or saying, be incompetent, be stupid or ignorant >I know he’ll screw it up—he doesn’t know shit from shinola.
— not know the first thing about (colloq.): have no expertise or ability in >Why did that contractor hire him? He doesn’t know the first thing about construction.
* not know which end/way is up (colloq.): not know what is happening, be totally confused, be stupid >You can’t put Waldo in charge of this operation—he doesn’t know which end is up.
* you know ... (freq. ya ...) (colloq.): uh ... (crutch phrase to fill a pause or introduce s/thing hard to express) >I want to, you know, try out for the part of, you know, the hero’s buddy.
* wouldn’t you know it! (colloq.): (interj. to express dismay or fatalism over an ironic complication or unfortunate surprise) >Wouldn’t you know it! Right after I got into the bathtub, the damn doorbell rang.
KNOW-HOW
* know-how (colloq.): expertise, knowledge and ability (to accomplish s/thing) >If you need a manual written, Pablo’s got the know-how.
KNOW-IT-ALL
* know-it-all (colloq.): person who acts as though he/she knew everything (esp. in an obnoxious way), presumed expert (also adj.) >I hate having that know-it-all always interrupt. >Her know-it-all attitude is getting on everyone’s nerves.
KNUCKLE
— knuckle down (vi) (colloq.): apply (oneself) seriously, begin (a task) with great effort and dedication >You’d better knuckle down and study or you won’t graduate on time.
— knuckle under (vi) (colloq.): give up, submit >We’ll keep the pressure on until they knuckle under to our demands. >Don’t underestimate the union—they’ll never knuckle under.
KNUCKLEHEAD
— knucklehead (colloq.): stupid or inept person, fool >Did you really expect that knucklehead to do it right?
KNUCKLE SANDWICH
— knuckle sandwich (sl., hum.): blow with the fist to (s/one’s) mouth >You’d better shut up if ya don’t wanna knuckle sandwich.
K.O.
— K.O. (= “knock out”) (vt) (sl.): knock out, knock unconscious >Hector K.O.ed the guy with a piece of lumber.
KOOK
— kook (kūk) (sl.): very strange or eccentric person, crazy person >Some kook came to my door tryin’ to sell me a ticket to Mars. >Who’s the kook with the orange hat?
KOOKY
— kooky (kū´kē) (sl.): eccentric, very strange, crazy >I don’t like the kooky ideas my son’s learnin’ at that school.
KOSHER
* kosher (colloq.): proper, fair, legitimate >It’s just not kosher to give confidential information to help your friend’s business.
K.P.
— K.P. (= “kitchen police/patrol”) (colloq.): cleaning up of the kitchen, washing of the dishes >I cooked, so you do K.P.
KRAUT
— kraut (krout) (sl., pej.): German >He said they called ‘em krauts during the war. >It’s German food, not kraut food, ya jerk!