kid oneself about

Reader's Digest 8月号のSnow Patrolと題された、アフガニスタンでブリザートに遭い孤立した米国海兵隊を英国空軍が救助する話から引用します。
He caught his breath slightly as he flew over a small river. A truck was lying on its roof, lights on, window wipers still flicking. If motorists were losing their bearings and swerving off the road, the crew couldn't kid themselves about how bad conditions had become.
(この "bearings" は既出 "http://blog.alc.co.jp/blog/3302827/157577"）
"kid themselves about" は慣用句に違いありません。"kid oneself about" で調べましたがOneLookの辞書検索では何も出てきません。慣用句を調べるのは苦労する時がよくあります。
やっと "kid yourself about" と "kid yourself" での意味と用例次ぎの辞書で見つけました。
・Macmillan Dictionary: to make yourself believe something that is not true; Consumers may be kidding themselves about how much they’ll spend over Christmas.
・Cambridge Advanced Learner's English Dictionary: to believe something that is not true, usually because you want it to be true; He says there's a good chance she'll come back to him but I think he's kidding himself.
結局 "kid oneself about"/ "kid yourself" は慣用句と言うよりも、"kid" の次ぎの意味を持ったフレーズの様です。
・Collins English Dictionary: (tr) to delude or fool (oneself) into believing (something): don't kid yourself that no-one else knows