keep one's head
verb1
Idiomatic To remain calm, reasonable, level-headed, especially in a situation likely to cause distress.
- If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you . . .1895, Rudyard Kipling, If—:
- The ruffian kept his head, and though the dog's teeth were in his shoulder, he managed to get his right hand free.1910, John Buchan, chapter 16, in Prester John:
1 more example
- Officials are calling the woman a hero for keeping her head and finding the only way out amid the panic of the smoke and flames.2008 March 7, “Mother Throws 7 Kids Out Window To Save Them From Fire”, in CityNews, Canada, retrieved 12 Dec 2009:
- Antonyms
- lose one's head, panic
- Related terms
- keep one's head above water