If something “kicks in” it starts to work or function or starts taking effect, especially medicine.
1. Usually when there is a fire or smoke in a building, the smoke alarms will go off (sound) and the fire sprinkling system (water sprinklers) will kick in.
2. When you get a fright (get scared) and the adrenaline kicks in, you may be able to do things that are normally not physically possible for you (especially if you need to save your life or someone else’s life) – like lifting heavy objects, jumping over a wall or running really fast.
3. Some people can’t function properly in the morning until they have their first cup of coffee and the caffeine kicks in.
4. Dentists and surgeons have to wait for the anesthesia to kick in before they extract teeth or start operating on a patient.
5. If you don’t touch a computer’s keyboard for some time, the screensaver will kick in automatically, unless you have deactivated it.
6. Many businesses and hospitals have generators which kick in when there is a blackout (loss of electricity) so that machines will continue to function uninterruptedly.
Do you need a cup of coffee in the morning to function?
ReplyDeleteActually I can easily survive without coffee, haven´t drunk it for ages. However, there is one thing that I need after each meal - a portion of good dark chocolate to get my endorphin kick;)
ReplyDeleterita
Rita, you sound like my wife!
ReplyDelete