knack

get the knack of

To learn how to do something competently or well after a certain period of practice or development. Wow, you're really getting the knack of playing piano! I've been seeing a tutor to help me with my math homework, and I think I'm starting to get the knack of it.
See also: get, knack, of

have (got) a knack for (something)

To be exceptionally proficient at (doing) something. I don't know what it is, but David just has a knack for getting under my skin. Jenny's got a real knack for the piano.
See also: have, knack

knick-knack

A trinket or bauble, typically one that is small and ornamental. I loved visiting my grandmother when I was a child and examining all the various knick-knacks she'd collected around the house.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • get the knack of
  • have (got) a knack for (something)
  • (you) coulda fooled me
  • stand the pace
  • stay the pace
  • (you) could have fooled me
  • bear a resemblance to
  • bear a resemblance to (someone or something)
  • be (really) something
  • turn the tables on (one)
References in periodicals archive
Sandeep Arora, COO, Knack Systems stated, "Our customers are looking for expertise and support in managing their customer journeys in this experience economy.
Headquartered in New Jersey, USA, Knack has delivery centers in India (Mumbai, Hyderabad and Mohali).
The game's title character is a living relic who subsumes other relics in order to grow and evolve from tiny Knack to a leviathan, which makes short work of surrounding bad guys.
Overall, the gameplay is the best part about Knack 2 and it's the only reason you'll progress from level to level.
Despite his rugged looks, there was not much love for Knack. So it was a genuine surprise to learn there was a sequel in the works - and even more of a surprise to learn that it's actually quite good.
There are new moves, abilities, combos and skill trees so players can upgrade Knack to match their style of play.
Knack noted that the absence of sexual information among victims and offenders when they were children played a part in the abuse.
He said: "I'd love to write more protest songs, but I don't think I have the knack for it that other people do."
New Delhi, March 21 (ANI): Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a developed a knack of creating history as he led India to its first Test match win in New Zealand after 33 years.
The Knack boasts a 2.2-inch internal screen with large text and number fonts, a simplified user interface and messaging communication.
"ON my radio programme I often feature one-hit wonders, and The Knack, from California, had one of the biggest one-hit wonders of all time in 1979 with that splendid rocker My Sharona"
The United boss believes both men have an incredible influence on the pitch and ability to change games by sheer force of will, not to mention a knack of scoring vital goals when all seems lost.
Writing with impeccable scholarship and a genuine knack for storytelling, Professor Pritchard has created a seminal work that is confidently recommended reading for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in turtles, tortoises, and a scientific life of adventure, discovery, and accomplishment.
The contrast between her modern demeanor and speech and the more archaic ones of Faerie is amusing and not overdone; the reader gets the impression that she will never quite get the knack of being a Faerie Princess.
Most professionals have a knack of predicting whether certain plays are likely to be profitable - it comes from years of playing and an advanced level of mental agility.