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

[kick down]{v. phr.}, {slang} To shift an automobile, jeep, ortruck into lower gear by hand-shifting. •/Joe kicked the jeep down from thirdto 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 troublewas a kick in the teeth./ Compare: SLAP IN THE FACE.

[kick it]{v. phr.}, {slang} To end a bad or unwanted habit such asdrinking, smoking, or drug addiction. •/Farnsworth finally kicked it; he’s ingood 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 kickofffor 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} Tobegin; launch; start. •/The candidate kicked off his campaign with a speechon television./ •/The fund raising drive was kicked off with a theaterparty./ 3. {slang} To die. •/Mr. Jones was almost ninety years old whenhe 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 leftearlier./ •/Mary could have kicked herself for letting the secret outbefore it was announced officially./

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

[kick over]{v.} 1. Of a motor: To begin to work. •/He had not usedhis car for two months and when he tried to start it, the motor would not kickover./ 2. {slang} To pay; contribute. •/The gang forced all thestorekeepers 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 breakthe rules; behave badly. •/When their teacher was absent and they had asubstitute, 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. Joneskicked 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 kickingup./

[kick up a fuss] or [kick up a row] or [raise a row] also [kickup a dust] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make trouble; make a disturbance.•/When the teacher gave the class five more hours of homework, the classkicked up a fuss./ •/When the teacher left the room, two boys kicked up arow./ 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 theirheels./ •/Mary was usually very quiet but at the farewell party she kickedup her heels and had a wonderful time./

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

[kiddie car]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Aschool 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 factorydumped poisonous wastes into the river and killed off the fish./ •/Thepresident suggested a new law to Congress but many members of Congress wereagainst the idea and they killed it off./ •/Mother made Nancy practice herdancing an hour every day; Nancy got tired of dancing and that killed off herinterest./

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

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

[kill two birds with one stone]{v. phr.} To succeed in doing twothings by only one action; get two results from one effort. •/Mother stoppedat the supermarket to buy bread and then went to get Jane at dancing class; shekilled two birds with one stone./ •/The history teacher told us that makingan outline kills two birds with one stone; it makes us study the lesson till weunderstand 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 notquite; rather. •/A guinea pig looks kind of like a rabbit, but it has shortears./ •/Bob was kind of tired when he finished the job./ •/The teachersort of frowned but then smiled./ •/Mary wouldn’t tell what she wanted tobe when she grew up; it was sort of a secret./

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

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

[kiss someone] or [something goodbye] {v. phr.} To lose or give upsomeone 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 horseat 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 KNEESOF 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. Verybusy; 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 inphone 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. •/Charlesstarted reading when he was knee-high to a grasshopper./ •/I’ve known Maryever since she was knee-high to a duck./