keep the pot boiling
To maintain one's livelihood; to continue to procure the necessities of living.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He works two jobs to keep the pot boiling.”
“After the factory closed, she took a part-time job at the bakery just to keep the pot boiling.”
“Despite the economic downturn, the small business owner struggled daily to keep the pot boiling for his family.”
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boiling frog
A person who, or thing which, is in a gradually worsening situation without any realization of the peril until it is too late.
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boiling hot
Extremely hot (having a high temperature: of an object, the weather, a living creature).
- 03
boiling mad
extremely angry; furious.
- 04
boiling point
The state of being heated, with high aggression.
- 05
cobbler, keep to your last
One should not criticise matters outside one's field of expertise; one should mind one's business.
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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.
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gift that keeps on giving
Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.
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keep a civil tongue in one's head
To maintain a polite manner of speaking.
Last updated August 10, 2026