the kiss of life

the kiss of life

Artificial respiration, that is, the blowing into the mouth of a person who has stopped breathing so as to force air in and out of their lungs. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. I was a lifeguard at the local pool for five years, but I've only had to give the kiss of life to someone once.
See also: kiss, life, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

kiss of life

1 mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 2 an action or event that revives a failing enterprise.
2 1997 Anthony Barnett This Time She gave a decrepit institution the kiss of life, when she became its adversary.
See also: kiss, life, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the kiss of ˈlife

(British English)
1 a method of helping somebody who has stopped breathing to breathe again by placing your mouth on theirs and forcing air into their lungs: He gave the child the kiss of life, but unfortunately it was too late to save her.
2 any thing or action that saves an organization, business, etc: This loan is the kiss of life that our company needs.
See also: kiss, life, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • kiss of life
  • give (one) the kiss of life
  • blow up a storm
  • breathe (new) life into (someone or something)
  • breathe life into
  • breathe life into something
  • lung
  • air (one's) lungs
  • air lungs
  • breathing spell
References in periodicals archive
Dear Editor Once again the proposal to build a new estate between Causewayhead and Graham's Dairy has been given the kiss of life. Will nobody ever get the message, frequently broadcast by the governments at both Holyrood and Westminster, that there should be "no more building on flood plains".
"I took him down and tried to give him the kiss of life."
Rachelle Miller, 36, gave single father Lewis Bond the kiss of life until medics restarted his heart with a defibrillator.
A DOG was given the kiss of life after being saved by firefighters following a house fire in Wolverhampton.
"The lamb had stopped breathing, and so the farmer began to give it the kiss of life. After five cycles of kiss of life and heart massage, the lamb began to breathe again.
We had a little hedgehog that came into our garden every night We put out food and water, that was all right Our little hedgehog went missing, nowhere to be seen We searched high and low, but all was in vain 'Til one day we found him or her had fallen down our drain We plucked him or her out, but to no avail Next door neighbour's grandkids gave out such a wail Who was going to give this little hedgehog the kiss of life? No one volunteered, not even our good wife We took him or her down the garden to lay down beside our dearly beloved cat They will lie side-by-side, so that's that.
The crook's hammerwielding accomplice fled, leaving stunned staff to give the kiss of life and ring for an ambulance.
Earlier this year the BHF became the first organisation in the UK to tell anyone untrained in CPR to ignore the kiss of life in favour of hard and fast chest compressions.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) commercials encourage viewers to forget the kiss of life, and just push hard and fast on the chest.
Research by the Resuscitation Council UK has shown doing chest compressions is more effective than mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, when performed by people not trained in CPR (the kiss of life is still recommended practice for those who have been trained).
So the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging members of the public to concentrate on chest compressions rather than the kiss of life - and they say doing it to the tune of the Bee Gees hit Stayin' Alive is the best way for an untrained person to help save the life of someone having a heart attack.
PEOPLE are being urged not to give the kiss of life during CPR but to concentrate instead on chest compressions.
A Plymouth builder gave a lucky dog the kiss of life, using skills learned from Baywatch.
London, Nov 17 (ANI): The kiss of life can actually lower the chances of survival of patients who have suffered cardiac arrest, reveals a new study.
A WOMAN had to be given the kiss of life after a flat fire in Liverpool.