Knock up

Knock up
This means to wake someone up. Although it seems to have an altogether different meaning in the USA! At one time, in England, a chap was employed to go round the streets to wake the workers up in time to get to work. He knew where everyone lived and tapped on the bedroom windows with a long stick, and was known as a "knocker up". He also turned off the gas street lights on his rounds. Another meaning of this phrase, that is more common these days, is to make something out of odds and ends. For example my Dad knocked up a tree house for us from some planks of wood he had in the garage, or you might knock up a meal from whatever you have hanging around in the fridge.

The American's guide to speaking British. 2013.

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  • knock — ► VERB 1) strike a surface noisily to attract attention. 2) collide forcefully with. 3) force to move or fall with a collision or blow. 4) make (a hole, dent, etc.) in something by striking it. 5) informal criticize. 6) (of a motor) make a… …   English terms dictionary

  • knock — [näk] vi. [ME knokken < OE cnocian, akin to ON knoka, MHG knochen, to press < echoic base > KNACK] 1. to strike a blow or blows with the fist or some hard object; esp., to rap on a door 2. to bump; collide; clash 3. to make a thumping,… …   English World dictionary

  • Knock — (n[o^]k), v. t. 1. To strike with something hard or heavy; to move by striking; to drive (a thing) against something; as, to knock a ball with a bat; to knock the head against a post; to knock a lamp off the table. [1913 Webster] When heroes… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Knock — (n[o^]k), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Knocked} (n[o^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Knocking}.] [OE. knoken, AS. cnocian, cnucian; prob. of imitative origin; cf. Sw. knacka. Cf. {Knack}.] 1. To drive or be driven against something; to strike against something;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Knock — ist der Name einer Landschaft in der Nähe von Emden, siehe: Knock (Ostfriesland) eines Marienwallfahrtsortes in Irland, County Mayo, siehe Knock (County Mayo) des in der Nähe gelegenen Flughafens Knock (Ireland West Airport Knock) eines Ortes in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Knock — Knock, n. 1. A blow; a stroke with something hard or heavy; a jar. [1913 Webster] 2. A stroke, as on a door for admittance; a rap. A knock at the door. Longfellow. [1913 Webster] A loud cry or some great knock. Holland. [1913 Webster] {Knock off} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Knock — Knock. Knock es una localidad de Irlanda situada en el condado de Mayo, provincia de Connacht, en la costa oeste de la isla. Tiene cerca de 600 habitantes. Es famosa porque se dice que aquí se aparecieron la Virgen María, san José, Jesús en forma …   Wikipedia Español

  • Knock-on — may refer to: *Knock on electron *Knock on (rugby) *Knock on effect …   Wikipedia

  • knock up — 1660s in sense of arouse by knocking at the door, from KNOCK (Cf. knock) (v.). However it is little used in this sense in American English, where the phrase means get a woman pregnant (1813), possibly ultimately from knock to copulate with… …   Etymology dictionary

  • knock — [n1] pushing, striking beating, blow, box, clip, conk, cuff, hammering, hit, injury, lick, rap, slap, smack, swat, swipe, thump, whack; concept 189 knock [n2] strong criticism blame, censure, condemnation, defeat, failure, flak, pan, rap, rebuff …   New thesaurus

  • knock in — [phrasal verb] knock (a run or runner) in or knock in (a run or runner) baseball : to cause (a run or runner) to score He knocked in [=batted in, drove in] a run in the second inning with a double to left field. • • • Main Entry: ↑knock …   Useful english dictionary

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