KEEP


Meaning of KEEP in English

I. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

avoid/keep off/stay off a subject (= not talk about it )

I knew he was trying to avoid the subject of drugs.

She hoped that Anna would keep off the subject of Luke for the next few hours.

be held/kept in custody

The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.

control/keep your temper

She tried to speak calmly and control her temper.

get/keep the weight off (= become or stay thinner )

I changed my eating habits so I'd keep the weight off.

get/keep things moving

The plan should boost employment and get things moving in the economy.

get/keep your weight down (= become thinner or stay thin )

How can I keep my weight down?

get/keep/stay ahead

Getting ahead at work is the most important thing to her at the moment.

have/keep etc your eyes glued to sth (= be watching something with all your attention )

Ted sat with his eyes glued to the television.

have/keep sb in stitches (= make someone laugh )

Her jokes had us all in stitches.

hold/keep your nerve (= remain calm and confident in a difficult situation )

The team held their nerve and went on to win.

hold/keep (yourself) aloof from sth

The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.

keep a check on sb/sth (= check something regularly )

Keep a check on your baby’s temperature.

keep a checklist

Can you keep a checklist of what we need to buy?

keep a close eye/watch on sb/sth (= watch someone or something carefully )

They have to keep a close eye on their finances.

keep a copy of sth ( also retain a copy of sth formal )

Did you keep a copy of the email?

keep a pet (= have one in your home )

Tenants aren’t allowed to keep pets.

Many species of parrot can be kept as pets.

keep a pledge (= do what you promised to do )

He has not kept his election pledges.

keep a promise ( also fulfil a promise British English fulfill a promise American English formal ) (= do what you promised to do )

She said she would come back, and she kept her promise.

The mayor has fulfilled his promise to get tough on corruption.

keep a record

Teachers keep a record of students’ progress.

keep a secret (= not tell it to anyone )

Can you keep a secret?

keep a sharp lookout (= watch extra carefully )

When you’re driving, keep a sharp lookout for cyclists.

keep a stiff upper lip

Men were taught to keep a stiff upper lip .

keep a straight face

I found it very difficult to keep a straight face .

Keep a tally of (= write down )

Keep a tally of the number of cars that pass.

keep a tight grip/hold/rein on sth (= control it very firmly )

The former dictator still keeps a tight grip on power.

Anna was determined to keep a tight hold on her feelings.

keep a vow (= do as you promised )

She kept her vow not to tell anyone about their affair.

Keep a wary eye on

Keep a wary eye on the weather before you set sail.

Keep a watchful eye on

Keep a watchful eye on elderly residents.

keep a watching brief on

One of his responsibilities is to keep a watching brief on foreign broadcasts.

keep an appointment (= go to an appointment that you have arranged )

Please let us know if you cannot keep your appointment.

keep an open mind

It’s important to keep an open mind as you study the topic.

keep discipline ( also maintain discipline formal ) (= make people obey the rules )

A good teacher knows how to maintain discipline.

keep dry

We managed to keep dry inside an old farm building.

keep fish (= have them as pets or for breeding )

We used to keep tropical fish when I was young.

keep fit

I swim twice a week to try and keep fit .

keep fit

keep hold of sth (= hold something without letting go )

I had to run to keep hold of the leather strap.

keep inflation down (= keep it at a low level )

These policies will help to keep inflation down.

keep pace with inflation (= be at the same level as inflation )

Salaries have not kept pace with inflation.

keep sb awake

The noise of the airplanes kept me awake.

keep sb company (= be with someone so that they do not feel lonely )

Mum was out so I stayed at home to keep my younger sister company.

keep sb out of mischief (= prevent someone from causing trouble )

Playing football helps keep him out of mischief.

keep sb under observation (= closely watch someone or something over a period of time )

The doctor ordered that the patient be kept under observation.

keep sb waiting

He kept us waiting for half an hour.

keep (sb/sth) afloat/stay afloat

The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat.

keep (sb/sth) afloat/stay afloat

Somehow we kept the ship afloat.

keep sb’s spirits up (= keep them feeling happy )

He wrote home often, trying to keep his family’s spirits up.

keep sth clean

You should always keep your kitchen clean.

keep sth dark British English (= keep something secret )

Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark.

keep sth in perspective

I hope we can all keep this issue in perspective.

keep sth shut

When it’s so hot, we keep the doors and windows shut and put on the air conditioner.

keep sth simple

Keep your explanation as simple as possible.

keep sth to a minimum (= to keep something at a low level )

Keep the noise to a minimum, will you?

keep sth under review (= continue to review it )

He recommended that the matter should be kept under review.

keep sth/get sth back on an even keel

Now that the crisis is over, we must try to get things back on an even keel.

Keep still

Keep still while I tie your shoe.

keep the engine running

You shouldn’t keep the engine running when the car is standing still.

keep the momentum going ( also sustain the momentum formal ) (= keep being successful )

Hopefully we can keep the momentum going and win the next game as well.

keep things ticking over

Jane will keep things ticking over while I’m away.

keep to the path

They kept carefully to the paths and did not go across the farmer's fields.

keep to/stick to a plan

We’re sticking to our original plan.

keep up a commentary (= give one continuously )

Attenborough kept up a running commentary on the animals' movements.

keep up the pace (= continue to do something or happen as quickly as before )

China's society is transforming but can it keep up the pace?

keep up with demand ( also keep pace with demand ) (= satisfy the demand )

Public funding for higher education has not kept up with demand.

keep up with fashion (= make sure that you know about the most recent fashions )

Lucy likes to keep up with the latest fashions.

keep up with the pace (= do something as fast as something else is happening or being done )

It's essential that we constantly update our skills and keep up with the pace of change.

keep up/maintain a pretence (= keep pretending that you are doing something or that something is true )

She kept up the pretence that her husband had died in order to claim the insurance money.

keep up/maintain morale (= keep morale high )

It was becoming difficult to keep up the morale of the troops.

keep within a budget (= spend only the money that is available )

Further cuts are needed in order to keep within the budget.

keep your balance (= stay steady )

The sea was so rough that it was hard to keep your balance.

keep your eyes open (= prevent them from closing )

I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.

keep your gaze (fixed) on sb/sth (= keep looking at someone or something )

I kept my gaze fixed on the television and didn’t look at him as he left the room.

keep your mind on the job/task in/at hand

Making notes is the best way of keeping your mind on the task at hand.

keep your opinions to yourself (= not say what you really think )

As the youngest person there, I knew enough to keep my opinions to myself.

keep your voice down (= not speak loudly )

Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you!

Keep...advised of (= continue to tell us about )

Keep us advised of any new developments.

keep...apart

The police try to keep rival supporters apart at all matches.

keep/bring sb up-to-date (= to give someone all the newest information about something )

Our magazine will keep you up-to-date with fashion.

keep/bring sth up-to-date (= to make something more modern )

The old system should be brought up-to-date.

keep...busy

There were lots of activities to keep the kids busy .

keep...confidential

Doctors are required to keep patients’ records completely confidential .

keep...footing

Seb struggled to keep his footing on the slippery path.

keep/get (sth) in trim

If you want to get in trim for summer, try aerobics.

My job was to keep the garden in trim.

keep...handy

I always keep my gun handy just in case.

keep...happy

I pretended to agree with her, just to keep her happy .

keep/have your wits about you (= be ready to think quickly and do what is necessary in a difficult situation )

keep/hold onto a seat ( also retain a seat formal ) (= not lose it in an election )

He is unlikely to retain his seat after next year's election.

Labour managed to hold the seat, but with a reduced majority.

keep/hold yourself aloof (from sb)

She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.

keep/honour an agreement ( also stick to an agreement informal ) (= do what you have agreed )

It’s important to keep to your student loan agreement.

keep...in reserve

We always keep some money in reserve , just in case.

keep...in working order

the amount of exercise needed to keep your body in working order

keeping schtum

The boss of the failed company is keeping schtum about his role in the disaster.

keeping score (= making a record of the score )

Is anybody keeping score ?

keeping tight control on

The government is keeping tight control on immigration.

keeping...fingers crossed

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that she’s going to be OK.

keep...journal

He decided to keep a journal .

keep/leave your options open (= to not limit what you can choose to do later )

Studying a broad range of subjects helps to keep your options open.

keep/leave your options open

Officers investigating her death are keeping their options open.

keep/maintain a balance

Try to keep a balance between your spending and your earnings.

A firm must strive to maintain a balance between business and financial risk.

keep/maintain your composure (= stay calm )

The widow broke down in tears, but her daughters maintained their composure.

keep...occupied

The museum has enough exhibits to keep anyone occupied for an hour or two.

keep...open

I was so sleepy, I couldn’t keep my eyes open .

keep...open

We try to keep the mountain roads open all through the winter.

keep/put sb on their mettle

This was just his way of keeping me on my mettle.

keep/put sth in a safe place

Keep your credit cards in a safe place.

keep/remain active

We try to keep the patients active by taking them for a daily walk.

keep/retain a sense of sth

Throughout it all she retained her sense of fun.

keep/retain customers

Keeping prices low helps to retain customers.

keep...safe

Make sure you keep these documents safe .

Keep...separate

Keep the fish separate from the other food.

keep...separate

He tries to keep his professional life completely separate from his private life.

keeps...grounded

Simmons says that her family keeps her grounded .

keeps...hidden

She keeps a bottle of gin hidden behind a stack of books.

keeps...log

The captain always keeps a log .

keep/stand guard (over sb/sth)

Gunmen stood guard at the camp entrance.

keep/stay away from an area

The police ordered people to stay away from the area.

keep/stay cool

his ability to keep cool in a crisis

keep/stay in shape

She’s bought an exercise bike to keep in shape.

keep/stay out of mischief (= not do things that cause trouble etc )

Can I trust you to stay our of mischief for half an hour?

keep/stay warm (= wear enough clothes not to feel cold )

Make sure you keep warm!

keeps...together

Sometimes I don’t know what keeps us together .

keep...tidy

I try to keep the garden tidy .

keep...under control

The Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates to keep inflation under control .

keep...warm

I’ve put your dinner in the oven to keep it warm .

keep/write a diary (= write regularly in a diary )

While I was travelling, I kept a diary every day.

kept a tight hold on

His mother kept a tight hold on his hand.

kept alive

He was kept alive on a life-support machine.

kept in quarantine

The monkeys were kept in quarantine for 31 days.

kept in the dark

College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.

kept myself occupied

I kept myself occupied by watching television.

kept on standby

A special team of police were kept on standby .

kept open house

He kept open house for a wide range of artists and writers.

kept quiet

I didn’t know anything about it so I just kept quiet .

kept under control

Dogs are allowed on the trails if they are kept under control .

kept under surveillance

The suspects were kept under surveillance .

kept woman

kept...in clover

The money kept him in clover for years.

kept...in contention

Owen’s goal kept England in contention .

kept...in suspense

They kept us in suspense for over two hours.

kept...secret from

They kept their relationship secret from their parents.

kept...vigil

Eva and Paul kept a constant vigil by their daughter’s hospital bedside.

make/keep a video diary

The group decided to make a video diary of the cycling trip.

meet/keep up the payments (on sth) (= be able to make regular payments )

He was having trouble meeting the interest payments.

preserve/record/keep etc sth for posterity

a priceless work of art that must be kept for posterity

remain/stay/keep calm

I tried to stay calm and just ignore him.

remain/stay/keep silent

She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue.

run/keep a tight ship (= manage a company, organization etc strictly and effectively )

stay/keep close

We must all stay close.

stay/keep in contact ( also maintain contact formal )

We’ve stayed in contact since we met on holiday.

stay/keep in touch (= keep writing or talking, even though you do not see each other often )

Anyway, we must stay in touch.

I met him when I worked in Madrid, and I’ve kept in touch with him ever since.

stay/keep/remain awake

I was tired and it was hard to stay awake.

stay/remain/keep solvent

I don’t know how we managed to remain solvent.

worth keeping in mind

Floor tiles can be difficult to clean – worth keeping in mind when you choose a new floor.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

up

Even Jimmy Savile, the man who helped bring them here, couldn't keep up with them.

They talked so fast that their interrogators had trouble keeping up .

Bill Strachan, its second owner, is keeping up the policy of good beer.

I had trouble keeping up with him.

Of course, that does mean keeping up your daily reading of newspapers and magazines and maintaining contact with journalists.

Some one gets ill or injured, or taunts a security guard, or keeps up serious noise all night long.

In fact, it was hard for her to keep up her end of the conversation.

Always important to keep up , you know.

■ NOUN

balance

Because they were walking downhill her limp was making her awkward and she linked arms with him to keep her balance .

A pitcher throws to different parts of the plate, trying to keep the hitter off balance .

As the bridge sways, people's feet exert sideways forces on it to keep their balance .

I prayed that they would keep their balance .

The lights changed and the truck pulled off with Chase trying to keep his balance and looking thoroughly bemused.

To keep a balance of atmosphere, excess carbon dioxide needed to be removed by chemical filters.

You sit on the saddle and try and keep your balance and hold on to the handlebars.

Your endocrine system also keeps you in balance and maintains your readiness to respond to internal and external stressors.

check

They kept a check on all our activities.

But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check .

Hearts had marginally more possession but were kept in check by an Airdrie team expert at preventing their opponents from playing.

Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check .

But for his weakness and vacillation, peasant unrest and working-class militancy could have been kept in check by efficient and unwavering repression.

The wife tried to keep a check on him.

control

It was like when she was eight, and Dead Daddy put her on Hero-9 to keep her under control .

If kept under control by regular mechanical cleaning of excess algae, they are often a positive addition to the tank.

Some of this was done no doubt to keep control in choppy political waters.

I kept control until the car had overtaken and was out of sight.

But it was men who helped Republicans keep control of Congress.

The scene might have been absorbing had I not been fighting to keep control of the wheelbarrow.

Margret Rey, who kept tight control over the vast franchise, died just before Christmas at the age of 90.

diary

I am finding it difficult to keep up this diary knowing you are away.

But Ickes says he dared not keep such a diary because it might have been subpoenaed.

But if you keep your on-line appointments diary up to date, a calendar on the network can compare everyone's schedules.

Each day we are to keep a diary .

If no obvious dramas have occurred, suggest your child keeps a diary which indicates dry or wet nights.

He spun an hour every day and kept a diary .

He kept his diaries for a record that would be published subsequent to the meetings.

She kept no diary in 1908.

distance

He'd laughed at her, teased her, and succeeded in keeping her at a distance .

This was why he kept his distance .

I walk along and she keeps pace and distance .

It is easy to see it now in the way labor has kept its distance from the plant-closing movement.

In Por Tanssie, the vibrancers had always been instructed to keep a certain distance between them.

Knowing how easily she could erupt, they kept their distance .

No ulterior motive lurks behind it, but it keeps you at a distance .

She kept her distance from me because she feared others would think me to be her offspring.

eye

I decided that I would keep an eye on Tom after that.

But still, I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to return his gaze.

Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house.

And would-be self-improvers among adults need only keep one eye on the checklist to produce an acceptable composition.

When he spoke at the exhibition, Vivien stood the whole time, keeping her eyes fixed upon his face.

Wade tried to keep his eyes level.

I couldn't keep my eyes open, I felt as if I was suffocating in a warm fug of words.

He claps and yells and paces and turns his back, and still keeps constant eye contact with manager Tom Lasorda.

peace

But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace .

The police replied that local authorities could keep peace .

Chamfer's easy confidence, and benign but firm manner, had often kept the peace in the Westside and Barrow Vale.

But he went out of his way to keep peace with retirees.

The judges extrapolated it from the fact that constables hold office under the Crown and are sworn to keep the peace .

We have always kept the peace .

Attempting to keep the semblance of peace , of ordinariness, he had, he now realized, sacrificed Katherine.

The leaders of the Basque and Navarrese communities swore that they would keep the peace and allow pilgrims to pass unmolested.

promise

She said she wanted to keep a promise to her husband that she would spend more time with the family.

Large global organizations are unable to keep their promises to provide these benefits.

He had kept his promise to Lais.

A resignation would force open the debate and make Dini keep his promise to quit, the Alliance argued.

Jessamy had promised faithfully not to open them until the morning of her birthday, and she had kept her promise.

A child might need to be prodded or compelled to keep a promise , or simply pressured to do a job well.

If he didn't keep his promise there was no knowing what Lee would do.

If you promise not to tell something, keep your promise or renegotiate with them.

record

Many hospitals did not keep accurate records and some did not provide figures, the inquiry found.

The hostesses keep a record of what they eat, and the drinking is easily accounted for.

Law enforcement authorities simply keep a record of a low-risk offender.

In addition, the computer would run reading and diagnostic tests, offer remedial programmes and keep complete records of child attainment.

Ask them to keep a record of. the materials they tried and the results.

In order for reading to progress, we had to keep records and list the pages read each day.

Joe kept records of his stills photography and checked through the medical supplies.

secret

Most humans are not very good at keeping secrets .

I had stumbled on to what may be the worst-kept secret in Annapolis area dining.

William Right-so-can you all keep a secret ?

You must keep this letter secret otherwise my life will be in danger.

The public key is used to decrypt information at the receiver and is not kept secret .

But 50-year-old Thaw has gone to extreme lengths to keep his location secret and has turned into a virtual recluse.

The Sphinx could keep his secret , we decided.

watch

She lies there in the dark, with her eyes open, keeping watch .

I told my friend Bridget it was up to us to keep watch .

Philpot, scheduled to run in the last heat of the day, kept checking her watch and jiggling her legs.

It is important, none the less, to keep a careful watch on progress.

I found a convenient spot to keep watch from, and turned the glass down upon the water.

It was his job to keep watch through the night, but boredom and tiredness had taken over.

Glover decided to keep watch for them anyway, so he could explain to the hired ones that the deal was off.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(keep your) chin up!

Keep your chin up! We'll get through this together!

be/go/keep on about sth

And they don't go on about his obvious flaws, like him being a doctor and having three dozen girlfriends.

Everyone goes on about Cher's dresses, showing her navel.

However, this is the party that goes on about unemployment as though it had a good record on unemployment.

It sounded stupid the way she went on about loving the sea.

It went on about 15 minutes too long.

The first I knew about it was Malcolm going on about rubber.

This made him wary as he went on about his chores and tried not to let Lucky see him.

Why do I go on about this, I wonder.

be/go/keep on at sb

A strike has been going on at the mine for over three months and the nine who died were all non-union men.

But what's going on at No. 4 and No. 8 are free rides, nothing less.

Funny stuff going on at the Olympics.

He had a bad leg and they kept on at him to hurry up.

I must say I was not totally happy about her going on at Yeo Davis, with me in the government.

Something must be going on at school.

There was some spitting going on at the end of the game.

You used to go on at me about getting out.

be/keep regular

A successful maintenance routine should be regular but not too often.

Note that if you go for the unfiltered system, water changes must be regular .

People who keep regular diaries find that the records become a source of motivation.

There should be regular surveys of the long-term expenditure implications of current and proposed policies.

These might be regular if there is not overtaking but random if there is unlimited overtaking, quite different patterns.

They should be regular , with easily visible treads.

To be effective, exercise must be regular and brisk.

Whatever method is adopted, there should be regular reference to time-charts or time-lines.

be/keep/stay etc in touch (with sth)

But Letitia stayed in touch , and together, sadly as it turned out, they had found family member Number Three.

EASY-TO-USE Paging is a simple but fast way to keep in touch .

I want you to stay in touch .

Lots of traveling dads and moms are now using e-mail to stay in touch .

One friend, a lawyer, swears by e-mail because it helps her keep in touch with far-flung friends.

The idea was to hang together, keep in touch with the audience and maybe make a few bucks.

They had been classmates as undergraduates at City College of New York and had always stayed in touch .

We may have to be in touch again.

be/keep/stay one step ahead (of sb)

It was a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of thrift regulators in Washington.

Money With better management of resources you will be able to stay one step ahead.

The reason Chappy is moving around so much is to keep one step ahead I suppose.

We don't want to sell him but we have to keep one step ahead.

bear/keep sb/sth in mind

Bobcat. Keep that in mind .

But they keep Soviet might in mind , however remote the threat now seems.

If he had ... no conclusions yet, just bear it in mind .

It is important to bear this in mind in any study of the role of school governors in meeting special educational needs.

It is important to keep your audience in mind when writing a report.

They might bear that in mind .

To keep it in mind , at all costs.

We've got to bear it in mind .

get/have/keep your foot in the door

get/keep your eye in

Even after his second wife left him in 1991, Thurmond has kept his eye in practice.

It all helps to get your eye in and is far better than trying to rely on memory.

have/keep both feet on the ground

She's really creative, but she also has her feet firmly on the ground.

So I guess inversely he taught me the need to be prepared and keep both feet on the ground.

have/keep your beady eye(s) on sb/sth

have/keep your eye on sb

As I told you, I have my eyes on a very different sort of market.

He kept his eyes on Ezra, surveying him.

He kept his eyes on his father, who had betrayed him.

His face had grown serious, and he kept his eyes on the road.

I kept my eyes on it the whole time, he wrote.

It was not only Percy Makepeace who kept his eyes on Hilary.

Mulcahey kept his eyes on the circles that widened out from the pebbles he dropped into the water.

We have to keep our eyes on the sandy path.

have/keep your finger on the pulse (of sth)

hold/keep your end up

It helped them keep their end up in battle, too, claim historians.

It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their end up at this level of competition.

Richter kept his end up by arranging a press visit to Huemul Island on 21 June, 1951.

hold/keep your peace

And since the credit accrued to him, he held his peace .

But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace .

But she held her peace and waited for the miracle.

Colonel Fergusson nodded indulgently at such pertness and obstinacy, but held his peace .

Gorbachev, like any husband in his circumstances, kept his peace .

No, better to hold her peace and pretend.

So I decide to hold my peace for a little while longer.

Why did he want to hold his peace ?

in keeping (with sth)

At the same time, we would be helped in keeping our reserves strong. 3.

But it is the rear-view binocular field which is of particular use in keeping the rabbit safe.

FiltrationA filter is of great help in keeping water free of suspended material, but it does not alleviate a polluted condition.

Here the dislike serves a useful purpose in keeping the family as an isolated unit.

That's because the evidence for the role of those two substances in keeping macular degeneration at bay is stronger.

The agent also has a vested interest in keeping the event's costs at a minimum.

The federal army in the South, in keeping with the 1877 Compromise, largely ignored instances of racial violence.

Thomases has denied any role in keeping investigators at bay.

in sb's keeping

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

keep a civil tongue in your head

keep a lookout

Soldiers kept a lookout for enemy planes through the night.

And send a couple of your boys up here to keep a lookout .

From his present position, Larsen would be better placed to keep a lookout for trouble and provide backup.

Then, with a watchful eye, it can keep a lookout for potential prey without revealing its presence.

keep a low profile

Many of the exiles have married, taken jobs, and generally kept a low profile.

She's keeping a low profile until the scandal is forgotten.

Western visitors to the region are asked to keep a low profile.

Apple kept a low profile for the first few days of the conference, making no major announcements or product introductions.

But since then they have kept a low profile and not made their findings public.

During the event Clinton will keep a low profile.

I decided to keep a low profile, after all I was a guest.

Kendall keeps a low profile, refusing to grant on-the-record interviews with the news media.

Like every really smart lobbyist, Boggs knows the importance of being subtle and of keeping a low profile.

There was nothing she could do about it, other than keep a low profile and stay well out of his way.

With police apparently keeping a low profile, the violence intensified during the night.

keep a low profile

Apple kept a low profile for the first few days of the conference, making no major announcements or product introductions.

But since then they have kept a low profile and not made their findings public.

During the event Clinton will keep a low profile .

I decided to keep a low profile , after all I was a guest.

Kendall keeps a low profile , refusing to grant on-the-record interviews with the news media.

Like every really smart lobbyist, Boggs knows the importance of being subtle and of keeping a low profile .

There was nothing she could do about it, other than keep a low profile and stay well out of his way.

With police apparently keeping a low profile , the violence intensified during the night.

keep a sharp eye on sb

Security guards kept a sharp eye on Mattson as he walked through the store.

As a teen-ager, I kept a sharp eye on who was winning the prizes I wanted: Honor Roll.

I keep a sharp eye on him.

keep a straight face

"I think I've lost that camera you lent me," I said, trying to keep a straight face .

Barbara tried to keep a straight face , but in the end she just couldn't help laughing.

He looked so ridiculous -- I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face .

She looked so ridiculous it was hard to keep a straight face .

When reading some of the competition entries, it was hard to keep a straight face .

With a completely straight face , Thomas announced he was joining the Girl Guides.

For the first hundred yards we keep straight faces .

How can you say that and keep a straight face ?

I keep a straight face and the composure of a chemist dispensing a prescription.

I try and keep a straight face , but I can't help grinning at myself.

It was very difficult to keep a straight face .

The old trick of keeping a straight face was failing him these days.

keep a tight rein on sb/sth

keep a watch out for sb/sth

keep a weather eye on sth

Both, for different reasons, kept weather eyes on the cloning work.

They dabble in composites, and keep a weather eye on the developments made by the small specialists.

This lets you keep a weather eye on your finances.

keep a/the lid on sth

A flurry of fists and boots followed as local referee Ignacio Silva struggled to keep the lid on.

Additionally, falling prices for key commodities, like copper, are keeping a lid on most manufacturing costs.

All this will combine to keep the lid on prices.

He apparently hoped this would keep the lid on the operation.

In the meantime, Father Glynn hoped that Jim Maier could keep a lid on the place.

Support the possibility of keeping a lid on tax increases.

Unlike Anthony, Geoffrey could keep a lid on his temper.

Up with the lark and wanting to get out of town, I have to keep the lid on my impatience.

keep an eye on sth/sb

But they can still learn a remarkable amount by keeping an eye on the east.

He said Kaczynski would keep an eye on his property.

I decided that I would keep an eye on Tom after that.

Mark: No, but the doctor is keeping an eye on her.&.

Meanwhile we shall keep an eye on him.

The doctor thought it best if she checked into a small, private facility where he could keep an eye on her.

Those with Internet access should keep an eye on a series of Usenet discussion groups that cater to Windows 95 issues.

You keep an eye on her, and me or Nanny Ogg will drop in when we can.

keep an eye open/out (for sb/sth)

Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.

And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols.

For months, he kept an eye out.

He will keep an eye out, but he can not promise anything.

Male speaker All you got to do is keep an eye open and watch the break lights.

Though he works hard with all the kids, he keeps an eye out for the special ones.

Valueoriented consumers should keep an eye out for the name FabreMontmayou.

keep body and soul together

Struggling peasants they'd be for the most part, trying to keep body and soul together in difficult times.

keep count

Are you keeping count of how many people you've invited?

After that he no longer bothered to keep count .

He started taking apart the engineering of the scene, keeping count of the timing in his head.

The Local kept count of the union dead.

keep faith with sb/sth

The military regime has not kept faith with its promises of democratic reform.

He had kept faith with the Old Man and brought them home.

He was my husband, and I, wretch that I am, could not keep faith with him.

Moxon's decision to drop Ashley Metcalfe and keep faith with Simon Kellett turned out to be fully justified.

They were moderns, they must keep faith with their generation and not look back towards the old one.

keep house

Owen's wife, Lauren, keeps house and looks after the children.

For many years thereafter he stayed at home and kept house while she supported them financially.

It must have seemed strange to have found herself keeping house for my grandfather and his daughters.

It was hard work keeping house .

Low inflation that keeps house prices from appreciating and high interest rates were blamed.

She couldn't bear things like Anna refusing to keep house or giving any pleasure to herself.

She enjoyed doing things like that far more than keeping house .

There had been no mention of Alice going out there to keep house for him.

Where keeping house and cooking were not female chores but simple tasks of pleasure and survival.

keep in close contact/touch

Even after Charles married Princess Diana he kept in close contact with Camilla.

He had not kept in close touch with the performers who had danced in his first little group.

I am keen to keep in close touch with you on this subject.

I take that point and we are keeping in close contact with local authorities.

I urge my hon. Friend to keep in close touch to make sure that response times are up to the charter.

In practice, I keep in close touch with the work of the foundation.

The Society is keeping in close touch with the appropriate authority and full information will be published as soon as possible.

To monitor their responses we have kept in close touch with each family's health visitor.

keep it real

I can keep it real simple.

keep mum

Far right: Septimus keeps Mum and Dad awake.

In politics, as in life, truth hurts.Better to keep mum .

So, darling, keep mum about where we are.

That obviously includes me, so your mum's got to keep mum , chick.

The grinning skull on the back of the mystery woman's jacket is keeping mum .

keep on the right side of sb

But those wanting to keep on the right side of the law will have to steer clear of the grape.

They were keeping on the right side of the powers that be.

keep pace (with sth/sb)

An aide said the money is needed to keep pace with the cost of issuing licenses.

But his lack of experience and robotic speaking style made it difficult for him to keep pace with Dole.

But they still haven't kept pace with the population even though it is slowing down now.

Her words were written down by recorders, whom she sometimes exhorted to write faster to keep pace with her.

However, the implementation of existing directives into national law is not keeping pace with the 1992 programme.

Interest rates paid on checking and passbook savings accounts failed to keep pace with inflation.

Pensions and benefits had not risen to keep pace with the rate of inflation, especially in the 1970s.

Purse money, however, has not kept pace .

keep perfect/good etc time

But like a single gear in a mechanical clock, timeless can not keep good time all by itself.

Nothing unusual - clocks behaving as before, keeping good time and continuing to emit their light beams.

Running in a clump through a crowded station, like the Bash Street Kids, keeping perfect time with chant and clap.

keep sb amused

Listening to the radio keeps me amused while I'm driving.

keep sb informed

During the strike, the media kept the public fully informed about the situation.

I want to know what you decide, so keep me informed .

Parents have complained that we are not keeping them very well informed of their children's progress.

Please keep me fully informed of any new developments.

The doctor should be kept informed about any changes in your child's condition.

We'll be keeping you informed of any new developments.

keep sb on their toes

With a test every Friday, she keeps her students on their toes .

And, keeping them on their toes ... the doctors who walk eighteen miles a day.

He keeps them on their toes .

Inflation, which depletes the value of stocks and bonds, also keeps investors on their toes .

Meetings are held every nineteen days, not necessarily Sundays, which must keep people on their toes .

The general use of disapproval in order to keep people on their toes tends to be counterproductive after a time.

Together, these threats are supposed to discipline managers and keep them on their toes .

We have improved because a few extra players have come in and the bench is outstanding which keeps everyone on their toes .

You have to have good people doing these jobs, and you have to keep folks on their toes .

keep sb quiet

Give the kids some crayons, that will keep them quiet for a while.

keep sb sane

keep sb sweet

keep several/too many etc balls in the air

keep sth in proportion

My confidence was so low it was difficult to keep things in proportion -- the smallest problem seemed like a major tragedy.

The Party's recent successes in the polls are encouraging but they need to be kept in proportion .

In fact it was Jack's sense of humour that kept her feelings in proportion during the next few days.

In our celebrity-obsessed society, it is nice to see some one keeping things in proportion .

Work was carried on around the lump in a fairly ordered pattern helping to keep everything in proportion .

keep sth quiet/keep quiet about sth

keep sth under wraps

Ford's new range of cars is being kept firmly under wraps until the Geneva auto show.

It's been suggested the report was kept under wraps to avoid controversy.

But in the interests of security we are keeping the information under wraps .

But Micky's very careful to keep it under wraps .

But officials deny they've been keeping their proposals under wraps .

Now his biggest concern is keeping his excitement under wraps .

The Left would like a civilian, but if there is a candidate it is keeping him under wraps .

The plans are still being kept tightly under wraps , partly through the fear that Mowden might try to scupper them.

There is some multimedia hardware on-board that the company is trying to keep pretty much under wraps .

Which is why, if you've got a bad temper, you probably do your utmost to keep it under wraps .

keep sth under your hat

Rather than wear your heart on your sleeve, you keep it under your hat .

keep the flag flying

keep the peace

In the past, air support from the RAF base at Aden had been enough to keep the peace between the rival warring tribes.

The President sent federal troops to Grenada to keep the peace .

The U.S. is sending troops overseas again - this time to keep the peace .

But for the sake of keeping the peace , it would probably be wise to use his new name.

Callaghan not unreasonably claimed in his memoirs that the Tories won the Falklands War but that Labour had kept the peace .

He was bound over to keep the peace by magistrates.

In the past, this had sufficed to keep the peace between the rival warring tribes.

On Vadinamia secrets are kept, and visitors are left strictly alone as long as they keep the peace .

Some conditions, nevertheless, did contribute toward keeping the peace .

The elder child may be made to give way to the demands of the younger one in order to keep the peace .

The judges extrapolated it from the fact that constables hold office under the Crown and are sworn to keep the peace .

keep the wolf from the door

But it was worth it to keep the wolves from the door.

No sign of any more money than is needed to keep the wolf from the door.

keep up appearances

For now, I can keep up appearances and still go to the same restaurants as my friends.

Of course, he tries to keep up appearances , but he lives entirely off borrowed money.

She put Christmas decorations in the window just to keep up appearances .

A travel iron is useful for keeping up appearances on holiday.

All my efforts were concentrated on keeping up appearances during those two hours of the day when I was with them.

He still took care to be rude and truculent at school to keep up appearances , but the old venom had faded.

Man on the move Everything a man need to keep up appearances while he's away from home.

She just wanted to keep up appearances for the kids.

Sometimes a mood, or a phase of the menstrual cycle, will bring about a definite aversion to keeping up appearances .

They spend all they have to keep up appearances .

We all have to keep up appearances while we wait for the tide to turn.

keep your cool

The waitress was really busy, but she kept her cool .

He should go out and have a beer with you, not just keep his cool with the unit....

Instead, Dukakis kept his cool and sealed his candidacy's doom.

Kick the day into action with refreshing Celsius Body Splash Opposite, below: keep your cool even when working up a sweat.

One of the best tips is to keep your cool .

Oxford kept their cool though and came up with a winner 5 minutes from time.

She'd fancied him for ages and when he asked her out she managed to keep her cool even though she felt faint.

Weaver keeps his cool while all those around him are losing theirs.

You've got to keep your cool , you've got to be strong in the head.

keep your distance

Men tend to keep their children at more of a distance than women.

Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.

Shots were fired into the air to force the police to keep their distance .

Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.

At first we kept our distance .

Burgess says such activities increase the danger that sharks will lose the respect for humans that mostly makes them keep their distance .

I saw him later, standing at a meeting of walls, a shy girl keeping her distance .

It is easy to see it now in the way labor has kept its distance from the plant-closing movement.

Over the years I have kept my distance from the white women's movement.

Ruth kept her distance from him but she could do nothing about the wretched aura that surrounded him.

Sometimes Fate tiptoes discreetly at the margins of our lives, averting her eyes and keeping her distance .

keep your ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep your eyes peeled/skinned

But if you mean to stick around on the planet for a bit, you need to keep your eyes skinned.

He had kept his eyes peeled.

He pedalled along the canal bank quite slowly, keeping his eyes skinned for signs of defunct animal life.

If you are interested, keep your eyes peeled for nomination lists to that effect.

One final word on buying components, keep your eyes peeled for products that are about to be discontinued.

She still kept her eyes skinned for people coming up the drive though.

The village was in complete wilderness, our toilet a local bush - keeping our eyes peeled for lions!

We keep our eyes peeled for Forest Service Road 670.

keep your eyes/ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open .

By then keeping her eyes open was less of an effort.

Go back to bed only when you can no longer keep your eyes Open .

Remembering his duty, he strode briskly up the stairs, keeping his eyes open for any suspicious signs.

Swing the boat south, keep her eyes open .

The basic rules of self-defence are quite simple: keep your eyes open and you can usually avoid trouble.

The daily firings produced by the withering economy offered loopholes of opportunity for a young man who kept his eyes open .

You know how to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

keep your hair on

keep your hand in

Although she has retired now, she keeps her hand in by giving her grandchildren music lessons.

He still comes around the gym occasionally, just to keep his hand in.

For all his pride, he misses the public forum politics provides and wants to keep his hand in somehow.

He kept his hands in his pockets as they beat him.

He kept his hands in his pockets so he would not smash Tony Angotti in the face.

He liked to bow and ruin the effect by keeping his hands in his pockets.

He moved slowly and cautiously, and kept his hands in clear view.

Nevertheless, he continued with his finger covered in blood, keeping his hand in his pocket.

The one-time gifted student kept his hands in his pockets as he listened to the brief proceedings.

keep your head

Paul's good at keeping his head in a crisis.

They were looking for a coach who could stay enthusiastic and keep his head at the same time.

But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

He keeps his head smooth with frequent shaving.

He kept his head turned towards Mary, though, as between parted lips they licked the tips of each other's tongues.

I have to keep my head up.

It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

Luckily, I am a good swimmer, so I managed to keep my head out of the milk.

Suddenly she began to walk faster to the car, keeping her head turned away from the direction of them.

keep your head above water

Although I've been out of a job for three months, I've managed to keep my head above water.

I'm just a pensioner, trying to keep my head above water.

I work full time, but we're still just keeping our heads above water.

If I get this raise, we'll just about keep our heads above water until next year.

Schools throughout the county are struggling to keep their heads above water.

But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

Coun Bergg, we are happy to report, is alive and well and keeping his head above water.

In reality, Diana was struggling to keep her head above water, let alone undertake a radical management restructuring programme.

It became increasingly difficult to keep his head above water.

Pensioners already fighting to keep their heads above water are being asked to pay extra council tax to fund the refugee crisis.

The wind and waves pushed me along as I struggled to keep my head above water.

We all do, really, and we're keeping our heads above water most beautifully.

keep your head down

But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.

Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.

Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.

I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.

I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.

I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.

It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

keep your mind on sth

With all the talk of job losses, I was having trouble keeping my mind on my work.

All good nurses were trained to keep their minds on their jobs, but even good nurses were human.

But I can not keep my mind on the movie, which now seems false and cloying.

He was numbed by the thought of this imaginary food and could hardly keep his mind on what the Padre was saying.

Let's keep our mind on the job at hand.

On Friday, the day of the fair, I had a dreadful time keeping my mind on my work.

Primo has been trying to keep his mind on what they are doing in this moment.

You are going to be hard pushed to keep your mind on whatever you're doing Tuesday.

keep your mouth shut

He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

You'd better keep your mouth shut about this.

After the incident Ninham, of Hilda Street, gave both boys £5 and told them to keep their mouths shut.

For one, a mistress who kept her mouth shut.

I don't believe she could keep her mouth shut.

If I would only keep my mouth shut more often, I thought, I would fit in better everywhere.

In the end, I kept my mouth shut.

It would be best to keep our mouths shut and let justice take its course.

This is all from Gran so keep your mouth shut.

You want to be off the record, keep your mouth shut.

keep your nose clean

He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.

It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.

But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.

But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.

keep your nose out (of sth)

Keep your nose out of my business!

You keep your nose out, you hear me?

keep your nose to the grindstone

keep your own counsel

Even with those she loves most, Ginny tends to keep her own counsel .

Amelia Earhart solved the problem her grandmother presented by keeping her own counsel .

However, he may simply have been keeping his own counsel when talking to me out of a proper loyalty and caution.

I keep my own counsel now, and my children are baffled by the new me.

McLaren keeps his own counsel , being as reticent as Ferguson is gregarious.

She is precisely the person to keep her own counsel for three hours.

So, obediently she kept her own counsel .

They were inscrutable, they kept their own counsel , and they were intelligent.

To the end, he kept his own counsel .

keep your pecker up

It's going to boil down to keeping your pecker up, looking on the best side of things.

keep your powder dry

keep your shirt on

keep your temper

I knew they were trying to annoy me but I was determined to keep my temper .

It took all her patience just to keep her temper .

Police officers are expected to keep their tempers whatever people say to them.

All you have to do is get up close, keep your temper , and shoot straight.

For one, Chilcott had kept his temper , hoping to coax his niece round to his point of view.

He kept his temper and signalled the other galley to turn to the shore at Drimnin, to do the repairs.

How will I keep my temper ?

I should have kept my temper , she thought frantically.

Susan told herself to keep her temper .

We kept our tempers , as if patience wasn't something we maintained at the expense of our fading energies.

When Felipe was grown up my father was wary and kept his temper .

keep your trap shut

Tell him to keep his trap shut and let me ask the questions.

keep your/an ear to the ground

I haven't heard any more news, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.

keep/beat time

At one stage, he joined her, pacing with her, beating time with one hand.

In employment systems, after all, people are not mustered to play together as their manager beats time .

It is not true that elsewhere they obey it without beating it, since one beats time wherever choruses are sung.

It starts lean and mean, just a slash of overdriven guitar with tambourine keeping time .

The lord began to tap his foot and beat time with his hand against his thigh.

They are likened by Leibniz to a series of clocks that manage to keep time without being connected.

They were often unable to keep time to within fifteen minutes a day and were frequently out of order.

Tidy time keep time on your side and all your bills in order with this hand clip clock.

keep/break the Sabbath

By healing the man is he keeping the Sabbath Holy or profaning it?.

One of the 10 commandments is to keep the Sabbath Holy.

So the idea of keeping the Sabbath day holy was born.

The people of Lewis keep the Sabbath and their honour.

keep/have one eye/half an eye on sb/sth

keep/have sb on a leash

keep/hold sb at arm's length

Economic policies kept the Soviet Union and Japan at arm's length during the Cold War.

keep/hold sb/sth in check

The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check .

The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.

A small bag of zeolite was used for three days, every two weeks to keep ammonia in check .

But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check .

Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.

His own temper rose, but he held it in check .

In one important area the Navy held its ambitions in check for bargaining reasons within the Whitehall market-place.

Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check .

What is new is that the controls which held this population in check no longer exist.

keep/hold sth at bay

Sandbags kept the floodwaters at bay .

The government hopes to keep inflation at bay .

All in all, the eatery is a breakfast bargain, with enough different components to keep boredom at bay .

Another technique for keeping performance anxiety at bay is the group sing-along.

Brown has kept the tumult at bay .

Concentrating on Emma would help to keep her worries at bay for a little while.

He was gritting his teeth against the pain, keeping it at bay while he studied the stump, the severed hand.

My voice holds them at bay .

She holds the adventurers at bay by holding the scroll over a candle flame and threatening to destroy it.

Two green glazed lions guarded the gates to keep evil spirits at bay .

keep/leave your options open

At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

Either way, you can keep your options open.

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

Many young people want to keep their options open.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

keep/lose track of sb/sth

I followed the map, keeping track of our position so I could radio in our coordinates if we went down.

Nitrogen use will be more problematic, but precision farming will enable farmers to keep track of field nutrient balances.

Nobody could keep track of all the winners.

North wanted to have Waite wired to keep track of his movements electronically, but Waite, very sensibly, refused.

She'd lost track of it while she was dealing with Anna.

She keeps track of magazine subscription renewals on a 10-by-12-inch card.

Write down the names of people you meet, and then keep track of them.

keep/put something on ice

keep/stay abreast of sth

Executives keep abreast of events in the company by e-mail.

Dulles did more than make the customary recommendations that the policies of the colonial powers keep abreast of local political aspirations.

In this way, hip Benetton stays abreast of the unpredictable storms of fashion.

Many growers may feel overwhelmed as they struggle to keep abreast of potentially helpful developments.

Once in their job, industrial production managers must stay abreast of new production technologies and management practices.

One way to stay abreast of the legal fees is to ask for monthly billings.

Representative staff will keep abreast of national developments by attending conferences and by visiting other schools piloting such courses.

The trouble was that the purchasing power of the workers did not keep abreast of what they produced.

keep/stay etc a jump ahead (of sb)

keep/stay/steer clear (of sb/sth)

Answer Steer clear of these subjects.

Even if Ranieri had secured a change in the law, however, investors would have stayed clear of mortgage bonds.

He had stayed clear of the subject of religion since Christmas.

Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.

The Profitboss steers clear of such indulgence, for in the end everyone pays dearly for the privilege of the few.

The starters have learned to steer clear of her.

Unless your home is totally dilapidated, steer clear of a complete redecoration prior to selling: it will arouse suspicion.

keep/stick to the message

move/change/keep up with the times

Motoring: Can R-R keep up with the times ?

The pub has made no attempt to keep up with the times ... no karaoke here ... just conversation.

out of keeping (with sth)

This ambitious and cumbersome attraction was totally out of keeping with the Niagara ambience, but Barnett persisted.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

put/keep sb in the picture

Besides, I wanted to put you in the picture .

Call it: putting you in the picture .

He put Maclean in the picture about his letter to Wilson.

Perhaps he did not like to argue with Jean-Claude, suspecting that my lover may have been put fully in the picture .

Then she remembered that she had promised to keep Sybil in the picture but decided that could wait as well.

set/start/keep the ball rolling

Ali MacGraw set the ball rolling with Love Story.

And laughter is infectious ... so a little bit of effort on the small screen could start the ball rolling.

Does that make a difference, or did he and others just start the ball rolling?

He will keep the ball rolling.

Her words started the ball rolling.

To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.

Volume 2 deals with general idioms e.g. keep the ball rolling, the proof of the pudding.

Wolves play a similar style, and at times one yearned for some one to set the ball rolling ... literally.

take/keep/get sb's mind off sth

At other times, the surroundings helped to take my mind off it.

I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off every-thing like golf will.

Instead they tried to take their minds off the poster campaign by providing weekend entertainment.

It takes your mind off how you feel.

Kirsty chattered excitedly throughout the journey, helping to keep Shiona's mind off her anxieties.

Letters could take my mind off most things.

To take his mind off his worries, I suggested that he wrote out a message for his family.

When the other guy thinks you are cheating, it can take his mind off the game.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

Keep still. I need to put a bandage on your finger.

Do you think this bacon will keep till tomorrow?

Don't let me keep you if you have other things to do.

Don't let me keep you.

Eat celery as soon as possible -- it does not keep well for long periods.

I'd hate to have a job that kept me in the office all the time.

I've decided to keep my car even though it's getting old.

I keep all my tickets and boarding passes as souvenirs.

I don't know how he managed to keep his sense of humour with all he's been through.

I was always getting kept after school for something when I was a kid.

In spite of the difficulties, Roby's kept his sense of humor.

It's hard to keep the house clean with three kids.

Mac should be here by now. What's keeping him?

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Mom and Dad said we could keep the puppy.

My grandfather kept his teeth in a glass next to his bed.

My job keeps me really busy.

My mother kept all the letters my father ever wrote her.

Paul managed to keep awake by drinking lots of strong black coffee.

People don't keep Christmas the way they used to.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Charlie Northrup drove his car to the Biondo farm at dusk to keep his appointment with Jack.

In both of these cases you have kept your centre-line turned to face the opponent and so left your options open.

Keegan is desperate to stay after savouring his first taste in management by keeping United in the Second Division.

New shells for old Q I would like to keep a Hermit Club.

Still, the only thing it ever kept me from doing in sports was being a football referee.

The countryside has a dignity in Piersanti's novel which keeps it from becoming a mere object of nostalgia.

The relationship was not kept secret from her supervisors.

II. noun

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(keep your) chin up!

Keep your chin up! We'll get through this together!

be/go/keep on about sth

And they don't go on about his obvious flaws, like him being a doctor and having three dozen girlfriends.

Everyone goes on about Cher's dresses, showing her navel.

However, this is the party that goes on about unemployment as though it had a good record on unemployment.

It sounded stupid the way she went on about loving the sea.

It went on about 15 minutes too long.

The first I knew about it was Malcolm going on about rubber.

This made him wary as he went on about his chores and tried not to let Lucky see him.

Why do I go on about this, I wonder.

be/go/keep on at sb

A strike has been going on at the mine for over three months and the nine who died were all non-union men.

But what's going on at No. 4 and No. 8 are free rides, nothing less.

Funny stuff going on at the Olympics.

He had a bad leg and they kept on at him to hurry up.

I must say I was not totally happy about her going on at Yeo Davis, with me in the government.

Something must be going on at school.

There was some spitting going on at the end of the game.

You used to go on at me about getting out.

be/keep regular

A successful maintenance routine should be regular but not too often.

Note that if you go for the unfiltered system, water changes must be regular .

People who keep regular diaries find that the records become a source of motivation.

There should be regular surveys of the long-term expenditure implications of current and proposed policies.

These might be regular if there is not overtaking but random if there is unlimited overtaking, quite different patterns.

They should be regular , with easily visible treads.

To be effective, exercise must be regular and brisk.

Whatever method is adopted, there should be regular reference to time-charts or time-lines.

be/keep/stay etc in touch (with sth)

But Letitia stayed in touch , and together, sadly as it turned out, they had found family member Number Three.

EASY-TO-USE Paging is a simple but fast way to keep in touch .

I want you to stay in touch .

Lots of traveling dads and moms are now using e-mail to stay in touch .

One friend, a lawyer, swears by e-mail because it helps her keep in touch with far-flung friends.

The idea was to hang together, keep in touch with the audience and maybe make a few bucks.

They had been classmates as undergraduates at City College of New York and had always stayed in touch .

We may have to be in touch again.

be/keep/stay one step ahead (of sb)

It was a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of thrift regulators in Washington.

Money With better management of resources you will be able to stay one step ahead.

The reason Chappy is moving around so much is to keep one step ahead I suppose.

We don't want to sell him but we have to keep one step ahead.

bear/keep sb/sth in mind

Bobcat. Keep that in mind .

But they keep Soviet might in mind , however remote the threat now seems.

If he had ... no conclusions yet, just bear it in mind .

It is important to bear this in mind in any study of the role of school governors in meeting special educational needs.

It is important to keep your audience in mind when writing a report.

They might bear that in mind .

To keep it in mind , at all costs.

We've got to bear it in mind .

earn your/its keep

As the illustration above shows, even if you just use the Family Rail Card once, it will earn its keep.

get/have/keep your foot in the door

get/keep your eye in

Even after his second wife left him in 1991, Thurmond has kept his eye in practice.

It all helps to get your eye in and is far better than trying to rely on memory.

have/keep both feet on the ground

She's really creative, but she also has her feet firmly on the ground.

So I guess inversely he taught me the need to be prepared and keep both feet on the ground.

have/keep your beady eye(s) on sb/sth

have/keep your eye on sb

As I told you, I have my eyes on a very different sort of market.

He kept his eyes on Ezra, surveying him.

He kept his eyes on his father, who had betrayed him.

His face had grown serious, and he kept his eyes on the road.

I kept my eyes on it the whole time, he wrote.

It was not only Percy Makepeace who kept his eyes on Hilary.

Mulcahey kept his eyes on the circles that widened out from the pebbles he dropped into the water.

We have to keep our eyes on the sandy path.

have/keep your finger on the pulse (of sth)

hold/keep your end up

It helped them keep their end up in battle, too, claim historians.

It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their end up at this level of competition.

Richter kept his end up by arranging a press visit to Huemul Island on 21 June, 1951.

hold/keep your peace

And since the credit accrued to him, he held his peace .

But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace .

But she held her peace and waited for the miracle.

Colonel Fergusson nodded indulgently at such pertness and obstinacy, but held his peace .

Gorbachev, like any husband in his circumstances, kept his peace .

No, better to hold her peace and pretend.

So I decide to hold my peace for a little while longer.

Why did he want to hold his peace ?

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

keep a sharp eye on sb

Security guards kept a sharp eye on Mattson as he walked through the store.

As a teen-ager, I kept a sharp eye on who was winning the prizes I wanted: Honor Roll.

I keep a sharp eye on him.

keep a/the lid on sth

A flurry of fists and boots followed as local referee Ignacio Silva struggled to keep the lid on.

Additionally, falling prices for key commodities, like copper, are keeping a lid on most manufacturing costs.

All this will combine to keep the lid on prices.

He apparently hoped this would keep the lid on the operation.

In the meantime, Father Glynn hoped that Jim Maier could keep a lid on the place.

Support the possibility of keeping a lid on tax increases.

Unlike Anthony, Geoffrey could keep a lid on his temper.

Up with the lark and wanting to get out of town, I have to keep the lid on my impatience.

keep body and soul together

Struggling peasants they'd be for the most part, trying to keep body and soul together in difficult times.

keep count

Are you keeping count of how many people you've invited?

After that he no longer bothered to keep count .

He started taking apart the engineering of the scene, keeping count of the timing in his head.

The Local kept count of the union dead.

keep faith with sb/sth

The military regime has not kept faith with its promises of democratic reform.

He had kept faith with the Old Man and brought them home.

He was my husband, and I, wretch that I am, could not keep faith with him.

Moxon's decision to drop Ashley Metcalfe and keep faith with Simon Kellett turned out to be fully justified.

They were moderns, they must keep faith with their generation and not look back towards the old one.

keep house

Owen's wife, Lauren, keeps house and looks after the children.

For many years thereafter he stayed at home and kept house while she supported them financially.

It must have seemed strange to have found herself keeping house for my grandfather and his daughters.

It was hard work keeping house .

Low inflation that keeps house prices from appreciating and high interest rates were blamed.

She couldn't bear things like Anna refusing to keep house or giving any pleasure to herself.

She enjoyed doing things like that far more than keeping house .

There had been no mention of Alice going out there to keep house for him.

Where keeping house and cooking were not female chores but simple tasks of pleasure and survival.

keep in close contact/touch

Even after Charles married Princess Diana he kept in close contact with Camilla.

He had not kept in close touch with the performers who had danced in his first little group.

I am keen to keep in close touch with you on this subject.

I take that point and we are keeping in close contact with local authorities.

I urge my hon. Friend to keep in close touch to make sure that response times are up to the charter.

In practice, I keep in close touch with the work of the foundation.

The Society is keeping in close touch with the appropriate authority and full information will be published as soon as possible.

To monitor their responses we have kept in close touch with each family's health visitor.

keep it real

I can keep it real simple.

keep mum

Far right: Septimus keeps Mum and Dad awake.

In politics, as in life, truth hurts.Better to keep mum .

So, darling, keep mum about where we are.

That obviously includes me, so your mum's got to keep mum , chick.

The grinning skull on the back of the mystery woman's jacket is keeping mum .

keep on the right side of sb

But those wanting to keep on the right side of the law will have to steer clear of the grape.

They were keeping on the right side of the powers that be.

keep on trucking

keep pace (with sth/sb)

An aide said the money is needed to keep pace with the cost of issuing licenses.

But his lack of experience and robotic speaking style made it difficult for him to keep pace with Dole.

But they still haven't kept pace with the population even though it is slowing down now.

Her words were written down by recorders, whom she sometimes exhorted to write faster to keep pace with her.

However, the implementation of existing directives into national law is not keeping pace with the 1992 programme.

Interest rates paid on checking and passbook savings accounts failed to keep pace with inflation.

Pensions and benefits had not risen to keep pace with the rate of inflation, especially in the 1970s.

Purse money, however, has not kept pace .

keep perfect/good etc time

But like a single gear in a mechanical clock, timeless can not keep good time all by itself.

Nothing unusual - clocks behaving as before, keeping good time and continuing to emit their light beams.

Running in a clump through a crowded station, like the Bash Street Kids, keeping perfect time with chant and clap.

keep sb amused

Listening to the radio keeps me amused while I'm driving.

keep sb guessing

Our supervisor likes to keep everyone guessing .

keep sb informed

During the strike, the media kept the public fully informed about the situation.

I want to know what you decide, so keep me informed .

Parents have complained that we are not keeping them very well informed of their children's progress.

Please keep me fully informed of any new developments.

The doctor should be kept informed about any changes in your child's condition.

We'll be keeping you informed of any new developments.

keep sb posted

Keep me posted - I'd like to know of any changes.

We don't have any plans yet, but I'll keep you posted .

keep sb quiet

Give the kids some crayons, that will keep them quiet for a while.

keep sb sane

keep sb sweet

keep several/too many etc balls in the air

keep sth in proportion

My confidence was so low it was difficult to keep things in proportion -- the smallest problem seemed like a major tragedy.

The Party's recent successes in the polls are encouraging but they need to be kept in proportion .

In fact it was Jack's sense of humour that kept her feelings in proportion during the next few days.

In our celebrity-obsessed society, it is nice to see some one keeping things in proportion .

Work was carried on around the lump in a fairly ordered pattern helping to keep everything in proportion .

keep sth quiet/keep quiet about sth

keep sth under wraps

Ford's new range of cars is being kept firmly under wraps until the Geneva auto show.

It's been suggested the report was kept under wraps to avoid controversy.

But in the interests of security we are keeping the information under wraps .

But Micky's very careful to keep it under wraps .

But officials deny they've been keeping their proposals under wraps .

Now his biggest concern is keeping his excitement under wraps .

The Left would like a civilian, but if there is a candidate it is keeping him under wraps .

The plans are still being kept tightly under wraps , partly through the fear that Mowden might try to scupper them.

There is some multimedia hardware on-board that the company is trying to keep pretty much under wraps .

Which is why, if you've got a bad temper, you probably do your utmost to keep it under wraps .

keep sth under your hat

Rather than wear your heart on your sleeve, you keep it under your hat .

keep up appearances

For now, I can keep up appearances and still go to the same restaurants as my friends.

Of course, he tries to keep up appearances , but he lives entirely off borrowed money.

She put Christmas decorations in the window just to keep up appearances .

A travel iron is useful for keeping up appearances on holiday.

All my efforts were concentrated on keeping up appearances during those two hours of the day when I was with them.

He still took care to be rude and truculent at school to keep up appearances , but the old venom had faded.

Man on the move Everything a man need to keep up appearances while he's away from home.

She just wanted to keep up appearances for the kids.

Sometimes a mood, or a phase of the menstrual cycle, will bring about a definite aversion to keeping up appearances .

They spend all they have to keep up appearances .

We all have to keep up appearances while we wait for the tide to turn.

keep your cool

The waitress was really busy, but she kept her cool .

He should go out and have a beer with you, not just keep his cool with the unit....

Instead, Dukakis kept his cool and sealed his candidacy's doom.

Kick the day into action with refreshing Celsius Body Splash Opposite, below: keep your cool even when working up a sweat.

One of the best tips is to keep your cool .

Oxford kept their cool though and came up with a winner 5 minutes from time.

She'd fancied him for ages and when he asked her out she managed to keep her cool even though she felt faint.

Weaver keeps his cool while all those around him are losing theirs.

You've got to keep your cool , you've got to be strong in the head.

keep your distance

Men tend to keep their children at more of a distance than women.

Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.

Shots were fired into the air to force the police to keep their distance .

Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.

At first we kept our distance .

Burgess says such activities increase the danger that sharks will lose the respect for humans that mostly makes them keep their distance .

I saw him later, standing at a meeting of walls, a shy girl keeping her distance .

It is easy to see it now in the way labor has kept its distance from the plant-closing movement.

Over the years I have kept my distance from the white women's movement.

Ruth kept her distance from him but she could do nothing about the wretched aura that surrounded him.

Sometimes Fate tiptoes discreetly at the margins of our lives, averting her eyes and keeping her distance .

keep your ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep your eyes peeled/skinned

But if you mean to stick around on the planet for a bit, you need to keep your eyes skinned.

He had kept his eyes peeled.

He pedalled along the canal bank quite slowly, keeping his eyes skinned for signs of defunct animal life.

If you are interested, keep your eyes peeled for nomination lists to that effect.

One final word on buying components, keep your eyes peeled for products that are about to be discontinued.

She still kept her eyes skinned for people coming up the drive though.

The village was in complete wilderness, our toilet a local bush - keeping our eyes peeled for lions!

We keep our eyes peeled for Forest Service Road 670.

keep your eyes/ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open .

By then keeping her eyes open was less of an effort.

Go back to bed only when you can no longer keep your eyes Open .

Remembering his duty, he strode briskly up the stairs, keeping his eyes open for any suspicious signs.

Swing the boat south, keep her eyes open .

The basic rules of self-defence are quite simple: keep your eyes open and you can usually avoid trouble.

The daily firings produced by the withering economy offered loopholes of opportunity for a young man who kept his eyes open .

You know how to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

keep your hair on

keep your hand in

Although she has retired now, she keeps her hand in by giving her grandchildren music lessons.

He still comes around the gym occasionally, just to keep his hand in.

For all his pride, he misses the public forum politics provides and wants to keep his hand in somehow.

He kept his hands in his pockets as they beat him.

He kept his hands in his pockets so he would not smash Tony Angotti in the face.

He liked to bow and ruin the effect by keeping his hands in his pockets.

He moved slowly and cautiously, and kept his hands in clear view.

Nevertheless, he continued with his finger covered in blood, keeping his hand in his pocket.

The one-time gifted student kept his hands in his pockets as he listened to the brief proceedings.

keep your head

Paul's good at keeping his head in a crisis.

They were looking for a coach who could stay enthusiastic and keep his head at the same time.

But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

He keeps his head smooth with frequent shaving.

He kept his head turned towards Mary, though, as between parted lips they licked the tips of each other's tongues.

I have to keep my head up.

It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

Luckily, I am a good swimmer, so I managed to keep my head out of the milk.

Suddenly she began to walk faster to the car, keeping her head turned away from the direction of them.

keep your head above water

Although I've been out of a job for three months, I've managed to keep my head above water.

I'm just a pensioner, trying to keep my head above water.

I work full time, but we're still just keeping our heads above water.

If I get this raise, we'll just about keep our heads above water until next year.

Schools throughout the county are struggling to keep their heads above water.

But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

Coun Bergg, we are happy to report, is alive and well and keeping his head above water.

In reality, Diana was struggling to keep her head above water, let alone undertake a radical management restructuring programme.

It became increasingly difficult to keep his head above water.

Pensioners already fighting to keep their heads above water are being asked to pay extra council tax to fund the refugee crisis.

The wind and waves pushed me along as I struggled to keep my head above water.

We all do, really, and we're keeping our heads above water most beautifully.

keep your head down

But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.

Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.

Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.

I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.

I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.

I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.

It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

keep your mind on sth

With all the talk of job losses, I was having trouble keeping my mind on my work.

All good nurses were trained to keep their minds on their jobs, but even good nurses were human.

But I can not keep my mind on the movie, which now seems false and cloying.

He was numbed by the thought of this imaginary food and could hardly keep his mind on what the Padre was saying.

Let's keep our mind on the job at hand.

On Friday, the day of the fair, I had a dreadful time keeping my mind on my work.

Primo has been trying to keep his mind on what they are doing in this moment.

You are going to be hard pushed to keep your mind on whatever you're doing Tuesday.

keep your mouth shut

He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

You'd better keep your mouth shut about this.

After the incident Ninham, of Hilda Street, gave both boys £5 and told them to keep their mouths shut.

For one, a mistress who kept her mouth shut.

I don't believe she could keep her mouth shut.

If I would only keep my mouth shut more often, I thought, I would fit in better everywhere.

In the end, I kept my mouth shut.

It would be best to keep our mouths shut and let justice take its course.

This is all from Gran so keep your mouth shut.

You want to be off the record, keep your mouth shut.

keep your nose clean

He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.

It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.

But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.

But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.

keep your nose out (of sth)

Keep your nose out of my business!

You keep your nose out, you hear me?

keep your nose to the grindstone

keep your own counsel

Even with those she loves most, Ginny tends to keep her own counsel .

Amelia Earhart solved the problem her grandmother presented by keeping her own counsel .

However, he may simply have been keeping his own counsel when talking to me out of a proper loyalty and caution.

I keep my own counsel now, and my children are baffled by the new me.

McLaren keeps his own counsel , being as reticent as Ferguson is gregarious.

She is precisely the person to keep her own counsel for three hours.

So, obediently she kept her own counsel .

They were inscrutable, they kept their own counsel , and they were intelligent.

To the end, he kept his own counsel .

keep your pecker up

It's going to boil down to keeping your pecker up, looking on the best side of things.

keep your powder dry

keep your shirt on

keep your temper

I knew they were trying to annoy me but I was determined to keep my temper .

It took all her patience just to keep her temper .

Police officers are expected to keep their tempers whatever people say to them.

All you have to do is get up close, keep your temper , and shoot straight.

For one, Chilcott had kept his temper , hoping to coax his niece round to his point of view.

He kept his temper and signalled the other galley to turn to the shore at Drimnin, to do the repairs.

How will I keep my temper ?

I should have kept my temper , she thought frantically.

Susan told herself to keep her temper .

We kept our tempers , as if patience wasn't something we maintained at the expense of our fading energies.

When Felipe was grown up my father was wary and kept his temper .

keep your trap shut

Tell him to keep his trap shut and let me ask the questions.

keep your/an ear to the ground

I haven't heard any more news, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.

keep/beat time

At one stage, he joined her, pacing with her, beating time with one hand.

In employment systems, after all, people are not mustered to play together as their manager beats time .

It is not true that elsewhere they obey it without beating it, since one beats time wherever choruses are sung.

It starts lean and mean, just a slash of overdriven guitar with tambourine keeping time .

The lord began to tap his foot and beat time with his hand against his thigh.

They are likened by Leibniz to a series of clocks that manage to keep time without being connected.

They were often unable to keep time to within fifteen minutes a day and were frequently out of order.

Tidy time keep time on your side and all your bills in order with this hand clip clock.

keep/break the Sabbath

By healing the man is he keeping the Sabbath Holy or profaning it?.

One of the 10 commandments is to keep the Sabbath Holy.

So the idea of keeping the Sabbath day holy was born.

The people of Lewis keep the Sabbath and their honour.

keep/have one eye/half an eye on sb/sth

keep/have sb on a leash

keep/hold sb at arm's length

Economic policies kept the Soviet Union and Japan at arm's length during the Cold War.

keep/hold sb/sth in check

The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check .

The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.

A small bag of zeolite was used for three days, every two weeks to keep ammonia in check .

But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check .

Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.

His own temper rose, but he held it in check .

In one important area the Navy held its ambitions in check for bargaining reasons within the Whitehall market-place.

Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check .

What is new is that the controls which held this population in check no longer exist.

keep/hold sth at bay

Sandbags kept the floodwaters at bay .

The government hopes to keep inflation at bay .

All in all, the eatery is a breakfast bargain, with enough different components to keep boredom at bay .

Another technique for keeping performance anxiety at bay is the group sing-along.

Brown has kept the tumult at bay .

Concentrating on Emma would help to keep her worries at bay for a little while.

He was gritting his teeth against the pain, keeping it at bay while he studied the stump, the severed hand.

My voice holds them at bay .

She holds the adventurers at bay by holding the scroll over a candle flame and threatening to destroy it.

Two green glazed lions guarded the gates to keep evil spirits at bay .

keep/leave your options open

At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

Either way, you can keep your options open.

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

Many young people want to keep their options open.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

keep/lose track of sb/sth

I followed the map, keeping track of our position so I could radio in our coordinates if we went down.

Nitrogen use will be more problematic, but precision farming will enable farmers to keep track of field nutrient balances.

Nobody could keep track of all the winners.

North wanted to have Waite wired to keep track of his movements electronically, but Waite, very sensibly, refused.

She'd lost track of it while she was dealing with Anna.

She keeps track of magazine subscription renewals on a 10-by-12-inch card.

Write down the names of people you meet, and then keep track of them.

keep/put something on ice

keep/stay abreast of sth

Executives keep abreast of events in the company by e-mail.

Dulles did more than make the customary recommendations that the policies of the colonial powers keep abreast of local political aspirations.

In this way, hip Benetton stays abreast of the unpredictable storms of fashion.

Many growers may feel overwhelmed as they struggle to keep abreast of potentially helpful developments.

Once in their job, industrial production managers must stay abreast of new production technologies and management practices.

One way to stay abreast of the legal fees is to ask for monthly billings.

Representative staff will keep abreast of national developments by attending conferences and by visiting other schools piloting such courses.

The trouble was that the purchasing power of the workers did not keep abreast of what they produced.

keep/stay etc a jump ahead (of sb)

keep/stay/steer clear (of sb/sth)

Answer Steer clear of these subjects.

Even if Ranieri had secured a change in the law, however, investors would have stayed clear of mortgage bonds.

He had stayed clear of the subject of religion since Christmas.

Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.

The Profitboss steers clear of such indulgence, for in the end everyone pays dearly for the privilege of the few.

The starters have learned to steer clear of her.

Unless your home is totally dilapidated, steer clear of a complete redecoration prior to selling: it will arouse suspicion.

keep/stick to the message

move/change/keep up with the times

Motoring: Can R-R keep up with the times ?

The pub has made no attempt to keep up with the times ... no karaoke here ... just conversation.

out of keeping (with sth)

This ambitious and cumbersome attraction was totally out of keeping with the Niagara ambience, but Barnett persisted.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

take/keep/get sb's mind off sth

At other times, the surroundings helped to take my mind off it.

I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off every-thing like golf will.

Instead they tried to take their minds off the poster campaign by providing weekend entertainment.

It takes your mind off how you feel.

Kirsty chattered excitedly throughout the journey, helping to keep Shiona's mind off her anxieties.

Letters could take my mind off most things.

To take his mind off his worries, I suggested that he wrote out a message for his family.

When the other guy thinks you are cheating, it can take his mind off the game.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

How else could he have got them out of the keep ?

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.