keep about
keep (someone or something) about
1. To continue to have someone or something at hand or in close proximity. Whether you rent or own your home, you should always keep a good toolkit about. Sometimes it feels like the boys I hang out with at school only keep me about in order to make fun of me.
2. To keep someone or something in various places around something or some location. We decided to start keeping more security guards about the premises after last month's break-ins. Life vests and life buoys are kept all about the ship.
See also: keep
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
keep someone or something about
and keep someone or something aroundto have someone or something nearby habitually. Try to keep some spare parts about. He doesn't work very hard, but we keep him around anyway.
See also: keep
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.