keep your eyes peeled/skinned

To remain vigilant or carefully watchful (for something or someone). They should be arriving any minute, so keep your eyes peeled. Keep your eye peeled for a birthday gift we could give your mother. Tell everyone to keep their eyes peeled for the health inspector. We heard she'll be doing a surprise inspection someday soon.

To remain vigilant or carefully watchful (for someone or something). They should be arriving any minute, so keep your eyes skinned. Keep your eye skinned for a birthday gift we could give your mother. Tell everyone to keep their eyes skinned for the health inspector. We heard she'll be doing a surprise inspection someday soon.

Be particularly watchful; remain alert. This American expression dates from the mid-nineteenth century and presumably likens peeled or skinned to being wide open. An early reference in print occurs in J. S. Robb’s Squatter Life (1847): “Keep your eye skinned for Injuns.”