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  • Hi, guys. I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on idioms with "keep".

  • So in this lesson, we will look at five very common idioms which all use the word "keep"

  • in some way, and just like my lessons on idioms with "out", you have some definitions at the

  • bottom. So you can try and figure out the meaning of the idiom if you have never heard

  • it before. So let's begin. The first sentence says, "Don't trust him.

  • He never keeps his word." Now, I know in some other languages you probably have a similar

  • idiom already. So if you can translate this from your own language, or if you can try

  • and guess what the meaning of "keeping your word" is, I think you can guess the definition.

  • So is it "to remember and think about something" or "to watch for the arrival or appearance

  • of someone or something"? "Is it to uphold a promise"? Yeah, that's right. It is "to

  • uphold a promise". Okay, so No. 1, if you can keep a promise, you can "keep your word".

  • So if I say, "I always keep my word. Don't worry." That means I always keep my promises.

  • If I say I will do something, I do it. Okay. No. 2, "Keep me posted about your decision."

  • So again, imagine that you are somebody who is giving a job to someone, and you offer

  • them a new position, and they say, "Well, I need a few days to think about it." And

  • if you say, "Keep me posted about your decision", this means, "Make sure that I know" or "Give

  • me information." "Make sure -- keep me updated." So this means -- what do you think? "Keep

  • someone informed", right. So if you "keep someone posted" about something, it means

  • you keep them informed -- give them regular updates. They always know what's happening,

  • okay? The next one, "Keep an eye out for a red van."

  • So imagine that you are at the airport, and maybe you called a friend, and the friend

  • said, "Okay, I'll pick you up in 30 minutes." And you're with someone who doesn't know your

  • friend. So you tell this person, "Keep an eye out for a red van." We're looking for

  • a red van so we can go home from the airport. Well, if you're "keeping an eye out", what

  • are you doing? You're "watching for the arrival or appearance of something or someone", okay?

  • So again, think about it logically: "Keep an eye out." So you're looking for something,

  • you're paying attention. So, "keep an eye out" for -- if you have a friend, and you're

  • expecting their arrival. Or "Keep an eye out for Josh" or John or whoever it is.

  • Okay, guys, No. 4 says, "She can never keep a straight face -- keep a straight face -- when

  • she talks to her boss." Maybe her boss is a funny guy, or maybe she always feels that

  • -- well, maybe she doesn't like her boss and she wants to laugh in his face for some reason.

  • So if you "keep a straight face", this means that you keep yourself from laughing. You

  • hold your laughter inside because in this situation, maybe it's not appropriate to laugh.

  • So if you can -- "remember and think about something"? No. You "keep your face from laughing".

  • Sorry about that. There we go. Okay. So what are some situations where you have to "keep

  • a straight face"? Anything where it's serious or formal. If you're at a funeral, number

  • one, you generally have to "keep a straight face", be serious, not laugh. If you want

  • to be sarcastic towards your friends and make them believe something, you might want to

  • say something with a "straight face". And they're like, "Really?" And if you laugh,

  • they know you're lying, or you're trying to play a trick or a joke on them.

  • Okay, finally, we have, "If you need an extra person on the team, keep me in mind." There's

  • only one left, so "remember and think about something". So if you "keep someone in mind"

  • -- you can keep something or someone "in mind". If you keep a person "in mind" for something,

  • it means that you're remembering them or thinking about them based on whatever decision you're

  • trying to make or based on whatever the situation is. You can also keep something "in mind",

  • not only a person "in mind". So if I say -- okay, let's say that we make plans, and you're normally

  • late. You're a person who's usually late, but for this movie -- let's imagine that it's

  • the opening day of the movie, and you can't be late or you will not get a seat. So your

  • friend tells you, "Keep in mind that it's the opening night." "Remember. Keep in mind

  • it's the opening night. Be there early. You have to."

  • Okay, guys, so to review, if someone "keeps his or her word", it means that they can uphold

  • a promise. If you "keep someone posted", you keep them informed of what's going on. "Keep

  • an eye out" -- pay attention to or for the appearance or arrival of something. If you

  • "keep a straight face", that means that you stop yourself from laughing. And if you "keep

  • something or someone in mind", it means that you remember them or think about them in a

  • given situation. So if you'd like to test your understanding

  • of these idioms a little more, as always, you can check out the quiz on www.engvid.com,

  • and please subscribe to my channel on YouTube. Take care, guys, and good luck.

Hi, guys. I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on idioms with "keep".

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