knapping-jigger
A turnpike gate; "to dub at the KNAPPING-JIGGER," to pay money at the turnpike.
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knark
A hard-hearted or savage person. The word is now usually spelt NARK, and is applied to the lowest class of informers.
knave in grain
A knave of the first rate: a phrase borrowed from the dyehouse, where certain colours are said to be in grain, to denote their superiority, as being dyed with cochineal, called grain. Knave in grain is likewise a pun applied to a cornfactor or miller.
knaves and fools divide the world
Only dishonest or stupid people exist
knee-deep in the Big Muddy
Overwhelmed by a difficult situation
knee-high to a grasshopper
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knee-jerk reaction
An automatic and unthinking response to a situation
knife
"to KNIFE a person," to stab; an un-English custom, but a very common expression.
knife and fork
elegant or formal table manners
knife it
"cut it," cease, stop, don’t proceed.
knife-board
The seat running along the roof of an omnibus.
knife-ear
An elf.
knight
A common and ironical prefix to a man’s calling—thus, "KNIGHT of the whip," a coachman; "KNIGHT of the thimble," a tailor.
Knight Baronet
The title originally given to Baronets (q.v.) when the degree was instituted by James I in 1611.
knight errant
A mediaeval knight, especially a hero of those long romances satirized by Cervantes in Don Quixote, who wandered about the world in quest of adventure and in search of opportunities of rescuing damsels in distress and performing other chivalrous deeds.
Knight of Grace
A member of the lower order of the Knights of Malta. See MALTA.
knight of industry
Slang for a sharper; one who lives on his wits.
Knight of the Cloak
Sir Walter Raleigh. So called from his throwing his cloak into a puddle for Queen Elizabeth to step on as she was about to enter her barge.
knight of the pencil
A bookmaker; a re- porter; also anyone who makes his living by scribbling.
knight of the post
A person who testifies in court for payment
knight of the post
A man who had stood in the pillory or had been flogged at the whipping- post was so called; hence, one who haunted the purlieus of the courts, ready to be hired for a bribe to give false witness, go bail for a debtor for pay, etc.
knight of the rainbow
A footman: from the variety of colours in the liveries and trimming of gentlemen of that cloth.
Knight of the Shire
The old name for one of the two gentlemen of the rank of knight who represented a county or shire in the English Parliament; a member elected by a county, in contradistinction to a borough member.
knight of the square flag
A knight banneret, in allusion to cutting off the points of his pennon when he was raised to this rank on the battlefield.
knight service
The tenure of land, under the feudal system, on the condition of rendering military service to the Crown.
knight's fee
The amount of land for which, under the feudal system, the services of a knight were due to the Crown. There was no fixed unit, some were larger than others; William the Conqueror created 60,000 such fees when he came to England, and in his time all who had £20 a year in lands or in- come were compelled to be knights.
Knights of Columbus
A Roman Catholic fraternal and philanthropic society in U.S.A.
Knights of Labour
An organization of working men, founded at Philadelphia in 1869. At first secret, it later emerged to play an important part in the American Trade Union movement. Its objects were to regulate wages, hours of work, etc., and to control strikes. It secured the establishment of Labour Day (?.v.) as a national holiday.
Knights of St
John. The old tower later became a prison where, in 1792, the royal family of France was incarcerated.
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
An order of military knights founded by Godfrey of Bouillon, in 1099, to guard the Holy Sepulchre. Since 1342 it has existed only as a religious body, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem being its Grand Master.
Knights of the Round Table
According to Malory (Morte d' Arthur, III, i, ii) there were 150 knights who had "sieges" at the table. King Leodegraunce brought 100 when, at the weddmg of his daughter Guinever, he gave the table to King Arthur; Merlin filled up twenty- eight of the vacant seats, and the king elected Gawaine and Tor; the remaining twenty were left for those who might prove worthy.
Knights of Windsor
A small order of knights, originally founded by Edward III in 1349 as the "Poor Knights of the Order of the Garter.
knit one's brows
to frown or look worried
knit one's eyebrows
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knit together
to unite or connect people or things
knob jockey
A gay man.
knobstick
A non-society workman. One who takes work under price.
knock
To knock a woman; to have carnal knowledge of her. To knock off; to conclude: phrase borrowed from the blacksmith. To knock under; to submit.
knock a buzzard off a shit wagon
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knock a dog off a gut wagon
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knock a skunk off a gut wagon
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knock about the bub
To hand or pass about the drink. BUB is a very old cant term for drink.
knock down
to defeat or refute an argument
knock down a peg
to humble or reduce someone's pride
knock for a loop
To shock or astonish someone completely
knock it off
stop doing something annoying
knock it out of the park
To do something extremely well or successfully
knock me down
Strong ale or beer, stingo.
knock off
To halt one's work or other activity.
knock on (or touch) wood
Expresses good luck or warding off bad luck
knock on heaven's door
to be close to death
knock on wood
Express good luck or ward off bad luck
knock oneself out
to try very hard or go to great lengths to do something
knock out
to defeat or overwhelm someone
knock out of the box
Exceed expectations or achieve great success
knock some sense into
to make someone understand or act sensibly
knock someone down with a feather
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knock someone flat
Overwhelm or astonish someone completely
knock someone into the middle of next week
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
knock someone off their perch
to defeat or humble someone who is arrogant or overly confident