keep it real
In the imperative, an exhortation used as a departing salutation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“See you later, keep it real.”
“I am heading out now, so take care and keep it real.”
“As the evening drew to a close, he offered a final nod to his friends and told them to keep it real.”
From keep + it + real.
- 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
for real and for true
Genuinely; truly.
- 04
gift that keeps on giving
Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.
- 05
in a real state
Synonym of in a right state.
- 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