keep one's head

1. Stay calm, retain self-control, as in When the rowboat capsized, George yelled that everyone should keep their head and hold onto the boat . This usage dates from the early 1600s and is about two centuries older than the antonym, lose one's head , meaning “to become confused and agitated,” as in Whenever the stock market goes down sharply, people seem to lose their heads and sell .

2. keep one's head above water . See head above water .

Example Sentences

Sound bite: Brown said her best advice for handling corporate copycats is to keep one’s head — and confidence — while lawyers have their way.

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Nor was it a weapon, a style of cooking, or something to keep one’s head dry in foul weather.

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I understand that on these occasions it is a little difficult to keep one's head.

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To keep one’s head about him, to loosely quote Kipling, is perhaps Nadal’s greatest strength.

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It's a hard question to ask and keep one's head up in the sisterhood, much less answer.

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