ken

a bit beyond (one's) ken

Advanced beyond one's ability to understand or make sense of the subject matter or task at hand. The stuff they're teaching in this advanced math class is a bit beyond my ken. Whoa, having 10 employees report to me is a bit beyond my ken—I haven't had that much supervisory experience. I asked Alex to consult on this project because it's a bit beyond my ken.

See also: beyond, bit, ken

be beyond (one's) ken

To be advanced beyond one's ability to understand or make sense of the subject matter or task at hand. The stuff they're teaching in this advanced math class is beyond my ken. Whoa, having 10 employees report to me is beyond my ken—I haven't had that much supervisory experience. I asked Alex to consult on this project because it's beyond my ken.

See also: beyond, ken

beyond (one's) ken

Advanced beyond one's ability to understand or make sense of the subject matter or task at hand. The stuff they're teaching in this advanced math class is beyond my ken. Whoa, having 10 employees report to me is a bit beyond my ken—I haven't had that much supervisory experience. I asked Alex to consult on this project because it's a bit beyond my ken.

See also: beyond, ken

flash-ken

obsolete A place, often a lodging house, that aids thieves, as by providing them with shelter. My fine establishment is no flash-ken! Send these rogues away at once! A: "What if the cops are onto us, though?" B: "If we can make it down to the river, I know of a flash-ken that will take us in." I'm not running a flash-ken here—I had no idea those people were wanted by the law!

ken-burster

obsolete A burglar. I know that man—he's a ken-burster who's stolen from many houses in the area!

kencracker

obsolete A burglar. I know that man—he's a kencracker who's stolen from many houses in the area!

ken-miller

obsolete A burglar. I know that man—he's a ken-miller who's stolen from many houses in the area!

outside (one's) ken

Advanced beyond one's ability to understand or make sense of the subject matter or task at hand. The stuff they're teaching in this advanced math class is outside my ken.

See also: ken, outside

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

beyond one's ken

outside the extent of one's knowledge or understanding. Why she married that shiftless drunkard is beyond our ken. His mean attitude to others is quite beyond my ken.

See also: beyond, ken

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

beyond your ken

If something is beyond your ken, you do not know about it or understand it. The quirks of the antiques business were beyond his ken. The scientific subject matter is beyond the ken of the average person. Note: `Ken' here means the full range of someone's knowledge or understanding. The Scottish verb `ken' means `know'.

See also: beyond, ken

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

beyond your ken

outside your range of knowledge or understanding.

See also: beyond, ken

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

beyond/outside your ˈken

(old-fashioned) not within your knowledge or understanding: Such things are beyond my ken.

Ken is an old word for ‘knowledge’.

See also: beyond, ken, outside

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017