1880. The Advance, 9 Dec. We, the undersigned, promise not to play marbles for keeps, nor bet nor gamble in any way.
To keep the door, verb. phr. (old).—To play the bawd.
To keep the pot boiling, (colloquial).—To go on with anything; to 'keep the game alive'.
To keep (or hold) one's hair on. See Hair.
To keep open house, verb. phr. (tramps').—To sleep in the open air; to do a star pitch. For synonyms see Hedge-square.
To keep up to the collar, verb. phr. (common).—To keep hard at work.
1861. J. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ii. ii. Hardy kept him pretty well up to the collar.
To keep sheep by moonlight, verb. phr. (old).—To hang in chains.
As long as i can buy milk i shall not keep a cow, phr. (venery).—See keep, verb. sense 3.
1680. Bunyan, Life and Death of Mr. Badman [ed. 1696], p. 208. When . . . asked the reason he would make this answer. 'Who would keep a cow of their own that can have a quart of milk for a penny?' Meaning, who would be at the charge to have a wife that can have a whore when he listeth?
He can't keep a hotel, phr. (American).—A phrase intimating lack of administrative capacity.
Keeping-cully, subs. (old).—A man
who keeps (q.v. verb. sense 3).—B.
E. (1690); New Cant. Dict. (1725);
Grose (1785); Lex. Bal. (1811).
Keffel, subs. (old).—A horse. For
synonyms see Prad.—B. E. (1690);
New Cant. Dict. (1725); Grose
(1785); Matsell (1859).
Keg, subs. (American).—The stomach.
For synonyms see Victualling
Office.
1887. Francis, Saddle and Mocassin, p. 270. We'd been having a time and my keg was pretty full too.
Kegmeg, subs. (common).—See quot.
1883. Payn, Thicker than Water, xii. It was not unusual for Mrs. Beckett to seek half an hour's intimate talk with her young companion, which she playfully termed a keg-meg.
Keifer, subs. (venery).—Generic for
Mutton (q.v.). For synonyms
see Monosyllable.
Ke-keya, subs. (American thieves').—The
devil.—Matsell (1859).
For synonyms see Skipper.
Kelder, subs. (old).—The belly.
See Hans-in-kelder and Jack-in-the-cellar.
1658. Brome, New Academy, p. 29. By this good tongue, no more than the unbegotten Hans I mean to clap into thy kelder.
Kelp, subs. (old).—A hat. For synonyms
see Golgotha. To kelp
= to raise one's hat in salutation.
1754. Discoveries of John Poulter, p. 30. We jostle him, and one knocks his kelp off.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, s.v. Kelp.
Kelso-boots, subs. (Old Scots').—Heavy
shackles put on the legs
of prisoners; by some supposed to
be a sort of stocks.—Jamieson.
Kelter (or Kilter), subs. (old).—i.
Order; condition; form (q.v.).
1630-50. Bradford, Plymouth Plantation, 235. Ye very sight of one (a gun) though out of kilter, was a terrour unto them.
