pick

kick up

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.

Categories:

Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms

Subscribe to: American Idioms

English Slang

✉

We are in Telegram

Our RSS-feeds

Show All

See as well

kick off

[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. * […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

kick in the pants

[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, […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

kick around

[kick around] {v.}, {informal} 1. To act roughly or badly to; treat badly; bully. * /John likes to kick around the little boys./ * /Mr. Jones is always kicking his […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

kick over

[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 […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

Recent updates

Kingsley Amis

(1922-1995) English author It is no wonder that people are so horrible when they start life as children.

hell and high water

[hell and high water] {n. phr.} Troubles or difficulties of any kind. * /After John's father died he went through hell and […]

put someone on

[put someone on] {v.} To play a joke on someone by saying or doing things that are only pretense; kid. * /When the voice on […]

Napoleon Bonaparte

You can stop while you are raising, but not when you are falling.

many hands make light work

[many hands make light work] If many people work together, even a hard job becomes easier. - A proverb. * /Come on boys, […]

up and at them

[up and at them] 1. {adv. phr.} Actively engaged in a task as if doing combat. * /"You want to know whether he will make a […]