keep it between the ditches
To stay out of trouble or follow a righteous (God-fearing) path.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He tries to keep it between the ditches every single day.”
“My grandfather always told me that if I want a peaceful life, I need to keep it between the ditches.”
“Despite the many temptations that surrounded him in the city, he remained committed to his values and managed to keep it between the ditches.”
The idiom originated as an Irish saying concerning the management of a horse and buggy. It referred to the necessity of keeping one's transport on the road when the terrain, the speed, or the spirit of the driver proved challenging. Immigrant settlers brought the expression to America, where it achieved particular currency in the Southern states.
The phrase was further popularised by the fictional Duke Brothers in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, set in rural Georgia. While the original sense focused on the physical maintenance of a vehicle's path, the expression has recently morphed to denote a state of Clean Living.
The rock band Drive By Truckers, featuring members from northern Alabama, utilised the phrase in their song The Righteous Path. The transition from the Irish road to the American recording studio preserves the central requirement of the metaphor: the avoidance of the ditch, regardless of what one is driving.
- 01
cobbler, keep to your last
One should not criticise matters outside one's field of expertise; one should mind one's business.
- 02
earn one's keep
To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.
- 03
gift that keeps on giving
Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.
- 04
hurler on the ditch
A person standing on the side of a hurling field issuing (unsolicited and usually unwanted) instructions to the hurlers.
- 05
itch the ditch
To masturbate by stimulating one's vagina.
- 06
keep a civil tongue in one's head
To maintain a polite manner of speaking.
- 07
keep a close watch
to pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.
- 08
keep a cool head
To keep one's cool; to stay calm.
Last updated August 10, 2026