Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Keep your cool

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Keep your cool" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEmotions & Reactions collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Emotions & Reactions

Keep your cool

Keep your cool
To remain calm, composed, and in control of your emotions, especially in a difficult, stressful, or frustrating situation.
History & Origin

The phrase roots back to the association of cool temperatures with a calm, unagitated mind, a concept found in Old English but heavily popularized by African American jazz musicians in the 1940s and 1950s. In the intense, fast-paced jazz culture, 'cool' became a rebellious aesthetic of emotional detachment, relaxed composure, and self-control under pressure. Over time, 'keeping' this state of being transitioned from subculture slang into mainstream English to denote handling stress without panicking.

Examples
Workplace Email

Even though the client unexpectedly rejected our initial proposal during the live presentation, Sarah managed to keep her cool and immediately offered two excellent alternative solutions.

Casual Conversation

When the guy in front of us started shouting at the cashier for no reason, I just wanted to yell back, but my brother told me to keep my cool and walk away.

Academic Writing

Psychological studies indicate that leaders who keep their cool during organizational crises foster higher levels of trust and performance among their subordinates.

News/Media

The underdog tennis champion managed to keep her cool through a grueling five-minute tiebreaker, eventually forcing her opponent into making a critical unforced error.

Formal Speech

In times of economic uncertainty, it is vital for policymakers to keep their cool and resist the temptation to implement hasty, reactionary measures.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. The air conditioner broke down in August, so we had to open all the windows just to keep our cool.

B. Despite the harsh insults being thrown at him by the protestors, the mayor managed to keep his cool and addressed the crowd calmly.

C. If you want to keep your cool of the project, you must make sure that all team members submit their weekly reports on time.

D. She forgot her winter coat at home, so she had to keep her cool by wrapping herself in a thick woolen blanket.