IDIOMS AND PHRASES for IELTS Part – 14

Keep Someone at Arm’s Length: Avoid close interaction or cooperation.

Sentence – My daughter likes to watch me cook, but I make sure to keep her at arm’s length so she doesn’t get close to anything hot.

Keep Your Nose Clean: Avoid trouble or situations that compromise one’e honesty.

Sentence – You better keep your nose clean, kid, or you’re going to run into trouble you can’t handle.

Keep Your Powder Dry: Do not attack until you are ready.

Sentence – I know this job opportunity didn’t work out, but keep your powder dry for the next one that comes along.

Keeping One’s Nose to the Grindstone: Working hard on something repetitive or tedious.

Sentence – I’m so impressed by your grades, honey—you really kept your nose to the grindstone this year, and it paid off!

Kick the Bucket: To die.

Sentence – If they invent a hover board before I kick the bucket, I’m definitely going to try it, no matter how old I am.

Kick the Can down the Road: Postpone an important decision.

Sentence – It looks as though congress is going to kick the can down the road again on the debt ceiling issue, but they’ll have to find a lasting solution eventually.

Kill a Fly With an Elephant Gun: Approach a problem with excessive measures.

Sentence – Look, you’ve got some money issues, sure, but filing for bankruptcy would be killing a fly with an elephant gun.

Kill Two Birds with One Stone: Act in such a way as to produce two desirable effects.

Sentence – Bike-to-work schemes are a great way of killing two birds with one stone: getting more exercise while cutting down on the cost of your daily commute.

Kill the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg: To destroy a source of ongoing profits or benefits.

Sentence – Tearing down the top attraction in the theme park, “The Haunted House”, would be akin to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

King of the Hill: At the top of one’s field; the most influential person in a given field or area.

Sentence – After years of slowly moving up the ranks, Joe finally became king of the hill in his office.

Kiss and Make Up: Make peace after an argument.

Sentence – I’m glad you two finally kissed and made up. It was awkward with you fighting.

Kith and Kin: Family (collectively).

Sentence – We are gathered here, with kith and kin, to celebrate this great union.

Knock on Wood; Touch Wood: Let’s hope I have good luck or continue to have good luck.

Sentence – I’ve been driving for 36 years and have never been in an accident. Knock on wood!

Knock Some Sense Into: To beat someone in order to teach him/her a lesson. May be used figuratively.

Sentence – Jason is convinced that he wants to get a tattoo once he turns 18, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to knock sense into him by then.

Knock Someone’s Socks Off: Amaze someone.

Sentence – The show of support from everyone just knocked my socks off.

Knock Up: To impregnate a woman. Often used in the form knocked up.

Sentence – I really hope I didn’t knock her up—I’m not ready to be a dad!

Knockout: An extremely beautiful woman.

Sentence – I tried to knock out the broken piece, but it seems like it’s stuck in there.

Know (Something) Like the Back of One’s Hand: To be very familiar with something, especially an area.

Sentence – She’ll give you the name of a place to stay – she knows the area like the back of her hand.