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

keep off something • keep something off
keep off something —
1
. remain at a distance from smth.: In
an election which seems to have been fair, the Spanish police
kept off the streets. 2. prevent smth. from coming near or
happening: The ships were wintered by dismantling the rig-
gings and covering the hulls with planks to keep off the snow.
3. avoid mentioning a particular subject: They have all along
been on the aggressive. It has been their way of keeping off
the question of the Papal authority. 4. refrain from smth.: It
should become standard practice to have someone as the eve-
ning’s designated driver, that person agreeing to keep off alco-
hol.
keep something off — = keep off something 2: The idea is that
you would have a simple shelter that goes over your driveway
to keep the snow off.
keep on with something • keep up with something
keep on with something —continue doing smth., especially
in spite of danger, difficulties, etc.: For months he has been
talking of giving up smoking, but he still keeps on with it.
keep up with something —remain level with smth.; keep pace
with smth.: Even professional politicians have a struggle to
keep up with the changes in public opinion.
keep one’s balance • keep the balance
keep one’s balance —
1
. keep from falling; remain standing:
He slipped on the grass and as he stumbled forward, desper-
ately trying to keep his balance, he ran into a tree. 2. retain
one’s ability to exercise control: Now that a reaction is setting
in, Mr. Gorbachev is leaning back towards the conservatives
to keep his balance. 3. keep calm; not become emotionally
upset: You know when you keep your sense of humor you also
keep your balance. 4. compromise between smth.; find a mid-
dle course: Like other Arab leaders, Gadaffi tries to keep his
balance between the “Arab street” and Uncle Sam.
keep the balance —
1
. = keep one’s balance 
1
: Because of the
mud I had to put my feet just above the ground ready to put
them down to keep the balance when I slipped away. 2. = keep
one’s balance 4: Lewis was a tutor who tried to keep the balance
between amiability and his duty to the pupils to give them
sufficient preparation. 3. maintain the condition of equilib-
rium between opposing forces: Germany must be aware that
it has to keep the balance in Europe, Mr. Mitterrand said. 4.
keep the change from money offered in payment: Pay yourself
for the bottle of wine out of this, and keep the balance.