Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 556

In this episode of Speak Better English, you’ll learn useful English expressions with the word keep. These phrases are common in everyday conversations and will help you sound more natural and fluent.

We’ll look at expressions like keep at arm’s length, keep awake, keep your shirt on, and more. Each one comes with clear explanations and practical examples.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll:

• Understand the meaning of common keep expressions
• Learn how to use them naturally in speaking and writing
• Build vocabulary for IELTS, CAE, TOEFL, and everyday English

Listen now and discover how to keep improving your English with these essential expressions.

Transcript

0:09

Hi there, this is Harry and welcome to our podcast where I try to help you to understand and use English language in a better way. So I'll help you with grammar, expressions, idioms, both conversational and business English to put you in the best position possible. So what do I have for you in this particular podcast? Well, in this particular podcast, we're going to take a look at expressions with the word keep. To keep means to hold on to. So I will keep that means I will hold on to that. You keep that means you hold on to that. So let's look at some expressions with keep. To keep at arm's length. So to keep at arm's length literally means the length of your arm. So it means don't come so close to me. Yeah. Keep your distance. Yes. So it means you stand a little bit away from me. To keep somebody at arm's length is to keep them away from you so that your private space is not invaded. I like to keep my friends or my colleagues at work at arm's length, meaning I don't want to get too close to them. Yes, I like them. I like working with them, but they're not my best friends. I don't really want to socialize with them. So I keep them at arm's length or I keep people a little bit away from me. So I don't get so close. So we can use it physically. I don't want to get so close to people because of the virus. Or I don't want to get to know people so well because I prefer to keep myself to myself in my business arrangements. And therefore, I keep those business colleagues at arm's length. Okay. Next expression, to keep awake. Well, of course, we all have problems keeping awake at times. I do, I know, when I'm working hard and long hours and you feel your head nodding and then you think you're going to fall asleep. So to keep awake, you might want to keep awake for a particular purpose. Kids love to keep awake at Christmas time when they think they're going to spot Santa Claus and they try to stay awake, but it doesn't work. So to keep awake, you might keep awake waiting for your children to go home from a party because as a mother, you can't rest easy until you hear the key in the door and your children returning safely. So to keep awake. So we find it hard to keep awake in a presentation, some boring presentation by somebody, and you feel your head dropping, your eyes drooping, and you find it hard to keep awake, to keep your eyes open. Second, sorry, the next expression, actually the third, is to keep busy. Well, when times are difficult and we don't want to dwell on bad things, then it's a good idea to keep busy, meaning to keep ourselves occupied. So we've got work to do, we've got letters to do, we've got emails to send, we've got administration to do, people to call, do housework, whatever it might be, home tasks with the kids because they're home from school. So we like to keep ourselves busy. And we're always said, keep busy, keep busy, keep busy. And the days will pass more quickly as they do. If you're sitting down and you have nothing to do, then the days drag. But when you're active and occupied and you're kept busy, so the past tense, kept busy, well, then life might seem a little bit better. Okay, so to keep busy. Next expression, to keep calm. Well, it's always important to keep calm, particularly in times of a struggle, because when people are not calm, they panic. And when they panic, they get stressed. And when they get stressed, they don't make clear decisions. So you always hear about somebody saying at a time of a crisis, keep calm, keep calm, because, yeah, it's important, clear head, you make the right decision. So deep breaths, everybody. Breathe in, breathe out, keep calm. Yeah, practice those yoga breathing exercises to keep calm, to keep yourself alert so you don't get into a particular panic, to keep calm. To be kept informed. Well, to be kept informed means to know what's happening. The government ministers always want to keep the prime minister informed. So he always asks them or threatens them or puts pressure on them to keep him informed about what is happening. I like to be kept informed as to what's happening in my various offices. We like to be kept informed as to what's happening in our family. We like to be kept informed as to what progress is going to be made with a particular business deal. If one of your colleagues is working on it and you have a vested interest, some interest in making sure it happens, then you like to be kept informed to know what is happening. To keep a low profile. Well, when we keep a low profile, we keep out of the way. We don't want to put our head up too high to be recognised, or we don't want people to know that we are involved. Or some people just like to keep a low profile so their personal business is not looked at by lots of people and they don't have to answer too many awkward questions. So to keep a low profile. Many people whose name has been in the press for various reasons, perhaps politicians or sports stars or film stars, something's gone wrong in their life and the picture and the details are all over the newspapers. So for several days or weeks, they keep a low profile so that, you know, wherever they go, perhaps they wear dark glasses or a wig or clothes that they might not normally wear. So they won't be recognized or identified. So they try to keep a low profile. If I was you, I'd keep a low profile for the next few weeks. Things will blow over. They always do. And your news will be next week's rubbish. Yeah. So you'll be, paper will be thrown away and everybody will have forgotten about it. So keep a low profile. To keep a secret. Well, we all like to think we can keep a secret. Sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot. But when there's something we want to share with somebody, we try to find somebody that we trust and we entrust them with our private details. So we ask them, can you keep a secret? Can you keep my secret? If I tell you this, will you promise not to tell anybody else? I really need you to keep a secret. So it could be something about a job that you've applied for and you don't want anybody to know until you get the news that you've got it. It could be that you're expecting the baby and you don't want to tell the family yet until you're absolutely sure everything is okay. So you want somebody to keep a secret. Keep your shirt on. This is a really good idiomatic expression to keep your shirt on. We say this to somebody when they're getting a little bit excited, a little bit angry, and they start shouting and screaming. And you say, okay, calm down. Keep your shirt on, meaning don't get so excited, don't get so uptight, don't get so angry. Okay, so just keep your shirt on. Okay, so it's an idiomatic expression, meaning keep calm, keep your shirt on. Keep shut or keep your mouth shut means be quiet, don't say anything, don't tell anybody. It's a secret. So when you've given somebody your secret, you say, okay, keep it shut, keep your mouth shut, don't say anything, okay? Or when you've made that mistake and you're, you know, when you look at your wife, she's going to say, I told you, say, okay, look, just keep it shut. Don't say, I told you so. I know I made a mistake, but okay, let's get over it. Okay. So keep it shut or keep your mouth shut. Please don't say anything. I'm embarrassed enough already. It's my mistake. Okay. And then finally, keep waiting. Yeah. Or to be kept waiting. If you're, you know, if you go to a doctor or go to the dentist and your appointment is for 10 o'clock and at 10.30, you're still waiting in the queue, 10.45, whatever time it is, and you have been kept waiting for 45 minutes. But eventually, the doctor or the dentist will see you. Or you go for that new job interview. You get there nice and early. The secretary puts you in a waiting room and you're waiting. You're getting a little bit nervous. You're tapping your fingers on the table, not sure what's going to happen. And when the door opens, the person who's going to interview you says, I'm really sorry for keeping you waiting. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come with me and we can have the interview. Okay, so it's that period of time when you expected something to happen, it didn't happen, and you have to sit there and wait because it's important and you don't have any input into the time. Okay, so to keep someone waiting. Okay, so we've got to be, to keep at arm's length, to keep awake, keep busy, keep calm, to be kept informed, keep a low profile, keep a secret, keep your shirt on, keep it shut, and to be kept waiting. Okay, so thanks for listening. Again, as always, if you have any comments or you want me to add anything or to include anything, you can get me on www.englishlessonviaskype.com. Always happy to talk to you. And when you get there, look out for the Easy Peasy Club, which is a very quick, effective, efficient, and economical way for you to learn English. I appreciate you listening. And as always, join me again soon.