Page 250 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary
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knock the props out from under someone


            knockŁitŁoff to sðopŁsomething;Łto cease  kàock  someone  ort something around and
              sàmething. (Slang.)    ShuŁ up, you guys.  kàock  someone or something about to mis-
              Knock it off!   Knock it off. I’ve heard  treat someone orŁsomethingŁphysically.
              enough of your music.              They knocked my baggage around on the
                                                 flight  to  Mexico.    The  tough  guys
            knockŁoffŁwłrk  to quit workŁ(forŁthe day)¨  knocked  me  around  a  lttle.    They
              (Infàrmal.)    It’s Łime to knock off work.  knocked my brother about a bt aloo.
                It’s too early to knock off work.
                                               kàock  someone outŁ (cold) 1.  to  knàck
            kàock  one offŁ one’ feet Go to sweep one  sàmeone unconscious.Ł(Infàrmal.)     The
              off one’s feet.                    blow knocked the boxer out cold.   The at-
            kàock  oneself outŁ(to  do something) to gà to  tacker knocked the old man out cold. 2. to
              aŁgreat deal of tràuble to do sàmething.  overwhelm somone. ( Someone includes
              (Infàrmal.ŁAs if one hadŁworkedŁoneself  oneself.ŁSee also  knock oneself out (to dØ
              into unconsciousness.)   I knocked my-  something).)   The bad news really knocked
              self out to prepare this meal for you, and  me  out.    Her  story  was  great.  It  just
              you won’t evłn taste it!    I don’t know wðy  knocked me out cold!
              I knock myself out to do these things for  kàock  someone overŁ withŁ a  feather  to
              you. You are not at all appreciative.  leave someone sðunnedŁor surprisedŁby
            knockŁon włod  <aŁphrase saidŁto cancel  somethingŁextraàrdinary.Ł(Folksy.)     I
              out imaginaryŁbadŁluck.>b(The same as  was so surprised you could have knocked
              the British English “touch wood.”)   My  me over with a feather.   When she heard
              stereo has never givłn me any trouble—  the news, you could have knocked her over
              knock on wood.   We plan to be in FloridØ  with a feather.
              by tomorrow evłning—knock on wood.
                                               kàock  someone’ block off to strike som-
            knockŁ some  heads  together to  scold  one hard,ŁespeciallyŁinŁthe head.Ł(Slang.
              some people; to get some people to do  The block is the head.)   If you touch mł
              what  theyŁ are  supposedŁ to  be  dàing.  again, I’ll knock your block off.   John
              (Also literal.ŁSlang.)    If you kids don’t  punched  Bob  so  hard  that  he  almost
              quiet down and go to sleep, I’m going to  knocked his block off.
              come in your room and knock some heado  kàock  something byck Go to knock something
              togłther.    The governmłnt is in a mess.  down.
              We need to go to Washington and knock
              some heads together.             kàock  something dłwn and kàock  something
                                                 byck to drink dàwnŁaŁdrink of sàme-
            kàock  someone dead to put onŁaŁsðunning  thing,  especiallyŁ somethingŁ alcoholic.
              prfàrmance orŁdisplayŁforŁsàmeone.Ł(In-  (Also literal.ŁSlang.)    I don’t see how he
              formal.Ł Someone isŁoftenŁreplacedŁby ’ em  can knock that stuff down. T John knocked
              from them.)   This band is going to do  back two błers in ten mnutes.
              great tonight. We’re going to knock them
              dead.   “See how your sister is all dressed  kàock  something off to finish sàmething, es-
              up!” said Bill. “She’s going to knock ’em  peciallyŁinŁhaste orŁcarelessly.Ł(Also lit-
              dead.”                             eral.ŁSlang.)    I knocked it off with the
                                                 help of Bob. T I knocked off the last chap-
            kàock  someone dłwn (to size) Go to beat  ter of my book in four hours.
              someone down (to size).
                                               knockŁtheŁprops outŁfrom underŁ  someone
            kàock  someone fłrŁa loop  Go to throw some-  to desðràyŁsomeone’sŁemotional,Łfinan-
              one for a loop.                    cial,Łor moralŁunderpinnings;Łto desðrày
                                                 sàmeone’sŁconfidence.Ł    When you told
            kàock  someone off Go to bump someone off.
                                                 Sally  that  she  was  due  to  be  fired,  you
            kàock  someone  ort something about Go  to  really knocked the props out from undłr
              knock someone or something around.  her.   I don’t want to knock the props out

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