A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

hold one’s head down • keep one’s head down
hold one’s head down —(also: hang one’s head down) let one’s
head fall forward, usually when feeling sad or ashamed of one-
self: This man was drinking booze and holding his head down
in despair. He knew that he had wasted a lot of his life…
keep one’s head down —
1
. = hold one’s head down: When he
saw me, his shoulders drooped and he kept his head down in
shame and fear, even as he sat down to eat. 2. avoid attention;
remain inconspicuous: Walsh kept his head down, not speak-
ing out publicly even during the embarrassing wildcat strike
that paralyzed the airline.
Note: 
Neither expression fully correlates in meaning with the
phrase put one’s head down—
1
. = hold one’s head down: Bill
put down his head in mockery of the bull and grunted like
him, whereat we laughed yet more. 2. go to sleep; take a nap:
It was probably the first time he had been able to put his head
down since the illness reached its most critical stages. 3. start
to concentrate and work hard at smth.: They wanted me to put
my head down and work so I could get into a good college
and have a great career.
hold one’s water • hold water
hold one’s water —
1
. contain one’s urine: Eight hours is a
long time to hold one’s water…. It is a comfort to know that
one can if really necessary get access. 2. (U.S. sl.; imper.) be
patient; stop making repeated requests: “Pass over them glasses
will you?” “Just hold your water sailor, you’ll get your turn in
a moment.”
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase hold one’s liquor— be not easily intoxicated by alcohol:
The elder man stood erect in an attempt to show all that he
could hold his liquor.
hold water —(of an argument, idea, etc.) appear reasonable;
agree with the facts (usually negat.): Close examination of the
evidence reveals, however, that such claims simply don’t hold
water.