ep Idiom, Proverb
a keeper
something you want to keep for a long time """Do you like my leather jacket?"" ""Ya, man. It's a keeper!"""
a kept woman
a woman who is paid to live with a man I'm tired of being a kept woman. I want to be free of him.
a little steep
a little high in price, too much money to pay I'd like to buy that leather coat but the price is a little steep.
a new broom sweeps clean
an employee works hard on the first day or two, make a good impression "After my first day working for Grandfather, he said, ""A new broom sweeps clean."""
a wolf in sheep's clothing
an evil person who looks innocent The priest looked harmless, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
an apple a day keeps the doctor away
eat one apple each day for good health "Mom gave me an apple, saying, ""An apple a day... ."""
asleep at the switch
not alert to an opportunity I think he was asleep at the switch. He didn
beauty is only skin deep
do not judge a person by physical features, you can't tell a book... If you want to date a beauty queen, remember that beauty is only skin deep.
between the devil and the deep blue sea
in a difficult position, no place to go, between a rock..., Sophie's choice "If he ran, they would shoot him; if he stayed in the shop, the gas would kill him. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea."
beyond repair
ruined, cannot be repaired, a lost cause That copier is wrecked. It's beyond repair.
black sheep
the bad one, the one who does bad things He's the black sheep in that family - always in trouble.
black sheep (of the family)
a person who is a disgrace to a family or group The man is the black sheep in his family and is the only member who has not made a success of his life.
creep
strange person, pervert, weirdo What a creep! He looks like a stray dog!
deep, dark secret
very private information, on the QT I'll tell you all - except my past. That's a deep, dark secret.
deep six
in a six-foot-deep grave, pushing up daisies If you overdose on coke, you're deep six, man.
deep water
serious trouble or difficulty He will be in deep water if he doesn
dig a little deeper
try harder, give a little more The coach asked the team to dig a little deeper, to give their best.
dig deep
give more money, dig a little deeper We'll all have to dig deep if we hope to achieve our goals.
fall asleep
begin to sleep, drop off Don't fall asleep while we're in church. It's embarrassing.
for keeps
for always, forever He told the boy that he could have the baseball bat for keeps.
garage kept
in good condition, kept in a garage when not in use This car has been garage kept. The body's excellent.
get in deeper
cause you more trouble, dig yourself in Telling another lie will only get you in deeper - make it worse.
give me the creeps
cause me to feel scared or uncomfortable Damon looks like a ghost. He gives me the creeps.
go off the deep end
give way to emotion He went off the deep end when he saw the picture in the paper.
horseplay
just having fun, fooling around Don't worry. The boys aren't fighting. It's just horseplay.
in deep
seriously mixed up in something like debt or trouble He owes a lot of money and is in very deep with his new house and car.
in deep shit
in bad trouble, likely to be punished If you shoot a bear in a national park, you are in deep shit, man.
in deep trouble
in serious trouble, sure to catch hell Driving without a licence could get you in deep trouble.
in keeping with
going well together, agreeing, similar In keeping with our tradition of letting the visiting team kick first we will do it for this game as well.
in step
doing things in a similar way, together Are you in step with our youth? Do you understand how they feel?
jeepers
oh, gee whiz, gosh Jeepers! I don't know what to say.
jumping Jehosephat
holy cow, jimminy crickets, wow """Your VISA balance is $63,756."" ""Jumping Jehosephat! Is it?"""
keep a lid on it
not tell others, keep it quiet The judges know who won, but they have to keep a lid on it.
keep a low profile
not go out much, lay low He plans to keep a low profile until the trial is over.
keep a promise
do what you promise to do You can depend on Vern to keep a promise. He's reliable.
keep a secret
not tell anyone, keep it to yourself Children can keep a secret better than adults.
keep a stiff upper lip
be brave, face trouble bravely The prisoners tried hard to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the hardships of the prison.
keep a straight face
not smile or laugh, have a a poker face When you said I was your uncle, I couldn't keep a straight face.
keep after
remind someone over and over I always have to keep after her to do her job properly.
keep an even keel
be steady, be calm and sensible Customer Service needs people who can keep an even keel.
keep an eye on
watch carefully, continue paying attention to I asked my aunt to keep an eye on our apartment when we went away for our holiday.
keep an eye on something or someone
watch (as in take care of something) Will you keep an eye on the baby while I go to the store.
keep an eye open
(See keep an eye out)
keep an eye out
watch for, look for, keep your eyes peeled Keep an eye out for Helen at the school reunion. You may see her.
keep an open mind
be fair to all opinions, avoid prejudging I keep an open mind when I talk to you - open to all opinions.
keep at
persist with He has decided to keep at his studies so I am sure he will succeed.
keep body and soul together
keep alive, survive He has been working very hard to try and keep body and soul together after his illness.
keep books
keep records of money earned and spent The accountant has been keeping careful books of all the transactions in the company.
keep down
keep from progressing or growing, keep within limits, control The students were told to keep down the noise as some of the other classes were having exams.
keep fit
exercise to be healthy, look after your body You'll feel better if you keep fit - if you exercise regularly.
