[keep body and soul together] <v. phr.> To keep alive; survive. * /John was unemployed most of the year and hardly made enough money to keep body and soul together./ Compare: KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR.
[keep books] <v. phr.> To keep records of money gained and spent; do the work of a bookkeeper. * /Miss Jones keeps the company's books./
[keep company] <v. phr.> 1. To stay or go along with (someone) so that he will not be lonely to visit with (someone). * /John kept Andy company while his parents went to the movies./ * /I'll go shopping with you just to keep you company./ 2. To go places together as a couple; date just one person. * /After keeping company for one year, Mary and John decided to marry./ * /Who is Bill keeping company with now?/ Compare: GO STEADY.
[keep cool] <v. phr.> Remain calm; remain unexcited. * /The main thing to remember in an emergency situation is to not lose one's head and keep cool./
[keep down] <v.> Keep from progressing or growing; keep within limits; control. * /The children could not keep their voices down./ * /We hoe the garden to keep down the weeds./ * /You can't keep a good man down./ Compare: GET AHEAD.
[keeper] See: FINDERS KEEPERS.
[keep from] <v.>, <informal> To hold yourself back from; stop or prevent yourself from (doing something). * /Can you keep from repeating gossip?/ * /Jill can't keep from talking about her trip./ Usually used with "can" in the negative. * /You can't keep from liking Jim./ Compare: CAN HELP.
[keep good time] See: KEEP TIME.
[keep house(1)] <v. phr.> To do the necessary things in a household; do the cooking and cleaning. * /Since their mother died, Mary and her brother keep house for their father./
[keep house(2)] also [play house] <v. phr.>, <informal> To live together without being married. * /Bob and Nancy keep house these days./
[keeping] See: IN KEEPING, OUT OF KEEPING.
[keep in mind] See: IN MIND.
[keep in touch with] <v. phr.> To remain in communication with; maintain contact with. * /Don't forget to keep in touch, either by letter or phone, when you're in Europe!/
[keep late hours] <v. phr.> To go to bed late; habitually stay up (and work) late. * /"If you always keep such late hours, your health might suffer," Tom's doctor said./
[keep off] <v. phr.> To refrain from entering; stay away from. * /"Keep off the grass," the sign in the park indicated./
[keep on] <v.> 1. To go ahead; not stop; continue. * /The neighbors asked them to stop making noise, but they kept right on./ * /Columbus kept on until he saw land./ - Often used before a present participle. * /Relentlessly, the boy kept on asking about the birds and the bees./ * /The boy kept on talking even though the teacher had asked him to stop./ Syn.: GO ON. Compare: KEEP AT, KEEP UP. 2. To allow to continue working for you. * /The new owner kept Fred on as gardener./
[keep one at a distance] or [keep one at arm's length] <v. phr.> To avoid (someone's) company; not become too friendly toward. * /Mr. Smith is kind to the workers in his store but after work he keeps them at a distance./ * /Betty likes Bill and is trying to be friendly, but he keeps her at arm's length./ Compare: KEEP ONE'S DISTANCE, HOLD OFF(1a).
[keep (one) posted] <v. phr.> To receive current information; inform oneself. * /My associates phoned me every day and kept me posted on new developments in our business./
[keep one's balance] <v. phr.> To stay even-tempered; not become overexcited. * /Mike has the best personality to run our office; he always keeps his balance./ Contrast: LOSE ONE'S BALANCE.
[keep one's chin up] <v. phr.> To be brave; be determined; face trouble with courage. * /He didn't think that he would ever get out of the jungle alive, but he kept his chin up./ Compare: KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP.
[keep one's distance] <v. phr.> To be cool toward someone; avoid being friendly. * /Mary did not like her co-worker, Betty, and kept her distance from her./ Compare: KEEP ONE AT A DISTANCE.
[keep one's end up] See: HOLD ONE'S END UP.
[keep one's eye on] See: KEEP AN EYE ON.
[keep one's eye on the ball] <v. phr.> 1. To watch the ball at all times in a sport, usually in order to hit it or get it; not stop watching the ball. * /Keep your eye on the baseball or you won't be able to hit it./ 2. <informal> To be watchful and ready; be wide-awake and ready to win or succeed; be smart. * /Tom is just starting on the job but if he keeps his eye on the ball, he will be promoted./ Compare: ON THE BALL, KEEP AN EYE ON or KEEP ONE'S EYE ON or HAVE ONE'S EYE ON.
[keep one's eyes open] See: EYES OPEN.
[keep one's eyes peeled] or [keep one's eyes skinned] <v. phr.>, <informal> To watch carefully; be always looking. * /The bird-watcher kept his eyes peeled for bluebirds./ * /When the boys walked through the roads, they kept their eyes skinned for snakes./ Compare: EYES OPEN(1), EYE OUT.
[keep one's feet] <v. phr.> To keep from falling or slipping down; keep your balance; remain standing. * /The boy stumbled on the stairs but was able to keep his feet./ Compare: REGAIN ONE'S FEET.
[keep one's feet on the ground] See: FEET ON THE GROUND.
[keep one's fingers crossed] See: CROSS ONE'S FINGERS(1b).
[keep one's hand in] <v. phr.> To keep in practice; continue to take part. * /After he retired from teaching, Mr. Brown kept his hand in by giving a lecture once in a while./ * /Mr. Smith left the planning of the trip to his wife, but he kept his hand in, too./ Compare: KEEP UP.
[keep one's head] also [keep one's wits about one] <v. phr.> To stay calm when there is trouble or danger. * /When Tim heard the fire alarm he kept his head and looked for the nearest exit./ Compare: COUNT TO TEN. Contrast: LOSE ONE'S HEAD.
[keep one's head above water] <v. phr.> To remain solvent; manage to stay out of debt. * /Herb's income declined so drastically that he now has difficulty keeping his head above water./
[keep one's mouth shut] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be or stay silent. - A rude expression when used as a command. * /When the crooks were captured by the police, their leader warned them to keep their mouths shut./ * /Charles began to tell Barry how to kick the ball, and Barry said angrily, "Keep your mouth shut!"/ Syn.: SHUT UP(1).
[keep one's nose clean] <v. phr.>, <slang> To stay out of trouble; do only what you should do. * /The boss said Jim could have the job as long as he kept his nose clean and worked hard./ * /The policeman warned the boys to keep their noses clean unless they wanted to go to jail./ Compare: STEER CLEAR OF(2).
[keep one's nose to the grindstone] or [have one's nose to the grindstone] or [hold one's nose to the grindstone] <v. phr.>, <informal> To work hard all the time; keep busy with boring or tiresome work. * /Sarah keeps her nose to the grindstone and saves as much as possible to start her own business./
[keep one's own counsel] <v. phr.>, <formal> To keep your ideas and plans to yourself. * /John listened to what everyone had to say in the discussion, but he kept his own counsel./ * /Although everybody gave Mrs. O'Connor advice about what to do with her house, she kept her own counsel./
[keep one's shirt on] <v. phr.>, <slang> To calm down; keep from losing your temper or getting impatient or excited. * /Bob got very angry when John accidentally bumped into him, but John told him to keep his shirt on./ - Usually used as a command; may be considered impolite. * /John said to Bob, "Keep your shirt on."/ Contrast: GET ONE'S DANDER UP.
[keep one's temper] See: HOLD ONE'S TEMPER.
[keep one's weather eye open] See: WEATHER EYE.
[keep one's wits about one] See: KEEP ONE'S HEAD.
[keep one's word] <v. phr.> To do what one has promised; fulfill one's promise. * /Paul kept his word and paid me the $250 that he owed me right on time./
[keep on the good side of] See: ON ONE'S GOOD SIDE.
[keep open house] <v. phr.> To offer hospitality and entertain those who come at any given time on a certain day or afternoon. * /Beth and Charlie have a cottage by the lake where they keep open house on Saturday afternoons during the summer./
[keep out (of)] <v. phr.> 1. To stay out; remain out of. * /The sign on the fence said, "Danger! Keep out!"/ 2. To stave off; not allow in. * /The border patrol near El Paso, Texas, is trying to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States./
[keep pace] <v. phr.> To go as fast; go at the same rate; not get behind. * /When they go for a walk, Johnny has to take long steps to keep pace with his father./ * /When Billy was moved to a more advanced class, he had to work hard to keep pace./ Compare: KEEP UP(2a).
[keep plugging along] <v. phr.>, <informal> To continue to work diligently and with great effort, often against hardship. * /Bob was not particularly talented but he kept plugging along year after year, and eventually became vice president./
[keeps] See: FOR KEEPS.
[keep step with] <v. phr.> To maintain the same degree of progress as someone else. * /The United States has no choice but to keep step with potential enemies in terms of modern defense systems./
[keep tab on] or [keep tabs on] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To keep a record of. * /The government tries to keep tabs on all the animals in the park./ 2. To keep a watch on; check. * /The house mother kept tabs on the girls to be sure they were clean and neat./ Compare: KEEP TRACK OF.