[kickback]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} Money paid illegally for favorable treatment. •/He was arrested for making kickback payments./

[kick down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To shift an automobile, jeep, or truck into lower gear by hand-shifting. •/Joe kicked the jeep down from third to second, and we slowed down./

[kick in] See: CHIP IN.

[kick in the pants] or [kick in the teeth] {n. phr.}, {informal} Unexpected scorn or insult when praise was expected; rejection. •/Mary worked hard to clean up John’s room, but all she got for her trouble was a kick in the teeth./ Compare: SLAP IN THE FACE.

[kick it]{v. phr.}, {slang} To end a bad or unwanted habit such as drinking, smoking, or drug addiction. •/Farnsworth finally kicked it; he’s in good shape./

[kickoff]{n.} The start of something, like a new venture, a business, a sports event, or a concert season. •/Beethoven’s Ninth will be the kickoff for this summer season at Ravinia./

[kick off]{v. phr.} 1. To make the kick that begins a football game. •/John kicked off and the football game started./ 2. {informal} To begin; launch; start. •/The candidate kicked off his campaign with a speech on television./ •/The fund raising drive was kicked off with a theater party./ 3. {slang} To die. •/Mr. Jones was almost ninety years old when he kicked off./ Syn.: KICK THE BUCKET.

[kick oneself]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be sorry or ashamed; regret. •/When John missed the train, he kicked himself for not having left earlier./ •/Mary could have kicked herself for letting the secret out before it was announced officially./

[kick out] or [boot out] {v.}, {informal} To make (someone) go or leave; get rid of; dismiss. •/The boys made so much noise at the movie that the manager kicked them out./ •/The chief of police was booted out of office because he was a crook./ Syn.: THROW OUT(3).

[kick over]{v.} 1. Of a motor: To begin to work. •/He had not used his car for two months and when he tried to start it, the motor would not kick over./ 2. {slang} To pay; contribute. •/The gang forced all the storekeepers on the block to kick over $5 a week./ 3. {slang} To die. •/Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over this morning./

[kick over the traces] also [jump the traces] {v. phr.} To break the rules; behave badly. •/When their teacher was absent and they had a substitute, the children kicked over the traces./ Compare: ACT UP, CUT UP, LET LOOSE, OUT OF HAND, RAISE CAIN.

[kick the bucket]{v. phr.}, {slang} To die. •/Old Mr. Jones kicked the bucket just two days before his ninety-fourth birthday./ Compare: KICK OFF(3).

[kick up]{v.}, {informal} To show signs of not working right. •/John had had too much to eat and his stomach started to kick up./ •/After working well for a year the air conditioner suddenly started kicking up./

[kick up a fuss] or [kick up a row] or [raise a row] also [kick up a dust] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make trouble; make a disturbance. •/When the teacher gave the class five more hours of homework, the class kicked up a fuss./ •/When the teacher left the room, two boys kicked up a row./ Compare: RAISE CAIN, RAISE THE ROOF.

[kick up one’s heels]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have a merry time; celebrate. •/When exams were over the students went to town to kick up their heels./ •/Mary was usually very quiet but at the farewell party she kicked up her heels and had a wonderful time./

[kid] See: HANDLE WITH GLOVES or HANDLE WITH KID GLOVES, HANDLE WITHOUT GLOVES or HANDLE WITHOUT KID GLOVES.

[kiddie car]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A school bus. •/Watch out for that kiddie car coming up behind you!/

[kill] See: CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT, IN AT THE KILL.

[kill off]{v.} To kill or end completely; destroy. •/The factory dumped poisonous wastes into the river and killed off the fish./ •/The president suggested a new law to Congress but many members of Congress were against the idea and they killed it off./ •/Mother made Nancy practice her dancing an hour every day; Nancy got tired of dancing and that killed off her interest./

[kill the goose that laid the golden egg] To spoil something that is good or something that you have, by being greedy. — A proverb. •/Mrs. Jones gives you an apple from her tree whenever you go by her house, but don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg by bothering her too much./

[kill time]{v. phr.} To cause the time to pass more rapidly; waste time. •/The plane trip to Hong Kong was long and tiring, but we managed to kill time by watching several movies./

[kill two birds with one stone]{v. phr.} To succeed in doing two things by only one action; get two results from one effort. •/Mother stopped at the supermarket to buy bread and then went to get Jane at dancing class; she killed two birds with one stone./ •/The history teacher told us that making an outline kills two birds with one stone; it makes us study the lesson till we understand it, and it gives us notes to review before the test./

[kilter] See: OUT OF KILTER.

[kind] See: IN A WAY also IN A KIND OF WAY, IN KIND.

[kindly] See: TAKE KINDLY TO.

[kind of] or [sort of] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Almost but not quite; rather. •/A guinea pig looks kind of like a rabbit, but it has short ears./ •/Bob was kind of tired when he finished the job./ •/The teacher sort of frowned but then smiled./ •/Mary wouldn’t tell what she wanted to be when she grew up; it was sort of a secret./

[kindled spirits]{n. phr.} People who resemble each other in numerous ways, including their ways of thinking and feeling. •/They are kindred spirits; they both like to go on long walks in the forest./

[king’s ransom]{n. phr.} 1. An excessively large sum of money extorted by kidnappers to let someone go free. •/The Smith family had to pay a kings ransom for the freedom of their seven-year-old son, Tommy./ 2. An exorbitant fee one is forced to pay. •/The realtors exacted a king’s ransom for that choice lot on the comer./

[kiss someone] or [something goodbye] {v. phr.} To lose or give up someone or something forever. •/"If you won’t marry Jane," Peter said to Tom, "you might as well kiss her goodbye."/ •/People who bet on a losing horse at the races might as well kiss their money goodbye./

[kite] See: GO FLY A KITE.

[kitten] See: HAVE KITTENS.

[knee] See: BRING TO ONE’S KNEES, IN THE LAP OF THE GODS also ON THE KNEES OF THE GODS, ON ONE’S KNEES, UP TO THE CHIN IN or UP TO THE KNEE IN.

[knee-deep] or [neck-deep] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Very much; deeply; having a big part in. •/Johnny was knee-deep in trouble./ 2. Very busy; working hard at. •/We were neck-deep in homework before the exams./ 3. Getting or having many or much. •/The television station was knee-deep in phone calls./ Compare: UP TO THE CHIN IN.

[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./