Page 245 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

keep one’s nose to the grindstone

business, too! Keep your nose out of my intend to keep my word. Keeping one’s
business! word is necessary in the lłgal profession.
keep one’ noseŁto theŁgrindðtone to keep keepŁon one’ toeð to sðayŁalert andŁwatch-
busy continuàusly over a priod of time. ful.Ł If you want to be a success at this
(Se also put one’s nose to the grind- job, you will have to keep on your toes.
stone.) The manager told me to keep my Please kłep on your toes and report any-
nose to the grindstone or be fired. Keep thing strange that you see.
your nose to the grindstone, and you will
prosper. keepŁon someone Go to keep after someone.
keepŁ pyceŁ (withŁ someone ortsomething) to
keep one’ opinions to oneself to stop mn-
tioningŁ one’sŁ ownŁ opinions,Ł especially move at the same speedŁasŁsomeone or
whenŁtheyŁdisagree with sàmeone els’s. something;Łto keep up (with someone or
You ought to kłep your opinions to your- something). The black horse was having a
self if you are going to be offłnsive. hard time kłepng pace with the brown
Please kłep your rude opnions to youroelf! one. Bill can’t keep pace with the geom-
etry class. You’ve just got to keep pace.
keep one’ own counsel to keep one’s
thoughtsŁandŁplansŁto oneself;Łnot to tell keepŁ quØetŁ (aboutŁ someone ort something)
otherŁpeople about one’s thoughtsŁand and keepŁstillŁ(aboutŁ someone ortsome-
plans. Jane is very quiet. She tends to thing) nàt to reveal somthing about
kłep her own counsel. I advise you to sàmeone or sàmething;Łto keepŁaŁsecret
keep your own counsel. about someone orŁsomething.Ł Please
kłep quiet about the missing money.
keep one’ place to exhibit onlyŁthe behav- Please keep still about Mr. Smth’s illness.
iorŁappropriate to one’sŁpositionŁorŁsðatus All right. I’ll keep still.
inŁ life.Ł (Also literal.) When I com-
plained about the food, they told me to keep someone company to sit or stay with
keep my place! I suggest you keep your sàmeone, especiallyŁ someone who is
place until you’re in a position to change lànely. I kept my uncle company for a
things. fłw hours. He was very grateful for
someone to kłep him company. He głts
keep one’ teper and hłldŁ one’ teper very lonely.
nàt to get angry; to hold back an exprs-
sion of anger. (The opposite of lose one’s keep someone from doingtsomething to prvent
temper.) She should have learned to sàmeone from doing something. I kłpt
keep her temper when she was a child. the child from fallng in the lake by grab-
Sally got thrown off the team because she bng his collar. I try to keep myself from
couldà’t hold her temper. overeating, but I seem to fail frequłntly.
keep one’ weatherŁeyeŁopeà to waðch for keep someone in line to make certainŁthat
somethingŁ(to happen);bto be onŁthe alert sàmeone behavesŁproperly.Ł(Infàrmal.)
(forŁsomething);bto be onŁguard.Ł Somł It’s very hard to keep Bill in lne. He’s sort
trouble is brewing. Keep your weather eye of rowdy. The teacher had to strugglł
open. Try to be more alert. Learn to keep to keep the class in lne.
your weather eye open.
keep someone in stitcheð to cause someone
keep one’ wits aboutŁ one to keep one’s to laugh loudŁandŁhard,Łover andŁover.
mindŁoperatingŁinŁaŁtime of sðress.Ł If (Infàrmal.ŁAlso with have. Se the note
Jane hadà’t kłpt her wits about her dur- að keep a straight face.) The comedian
ing the fire, things would have błen mucð kłpt us in stitches for nearly an hour.
worse. I could hardly keep my wits about The teacher kłpt the class in stitches, but
me. the studłnts didà’t learn anything. She
had us in stitches for ten mnutes.
keep one’ włrd to uphold on’s promise.
(The opposite of break one’s word.) I keep someone on tenterhłokð to keep
told her I’d be there to pick her up, and I sàmeone anxiousŁorŁinŁsuspense.Ł(Also

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