keep it in the family
To restrict knowledge or information to only the members of a family or another small, intimate group.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They decided to keep it in the family and not tell anyone else.”
“The owners want to keep it in the family, so they are only offering the job to their children.”
“Rather than seeking outside investors for the struggling business, the founders chose to keep it in the family to maintain total control over their legacy.”
- 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
family jewels
The testicles.
- 04
gift that keeps on giving
Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.
- 05
keep a civil tongue in one's head
To maintain a polite manner of speaking.
- 06
keep a close watch
to pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.
- 07
keep a cool head
To keep one's cool; to stay calm.
- 08
keep a lid on
To keep something secret.
Last updated August 10, 2026