keep your shirt on
keep (one's) shirt on
To remain calm and wait for something. Typically used as an imperative in the phrase "keep your shirt on." Keep your shirt on, dude, the pizza will be here soon enough. It would have gone smoothly if Larry had been able to keep his shirt on instead of trying to get in early.
See also: keep, on, shirt
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
keep your shirt on
BRITISH, AMERICAN, INFORMAL orkeep your pants on
mainly AMERICAN, INFORMALIf someone tells you to keep your shirt on or keep your pants on, they are telling you to calm down and not be angry or impatient. The doorbell rang. Helen told the caller to keep his shirt on — angry because she felt the ringing had been excessive. Note: This expression is often used to suggest that a person's anger or impatience is not reasonable. Compare with keep your hair on.
See also: keep, on, shirt
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
keep your shirt on
don't lose your temper; stay calm. informalSee also: keep, on, shirt
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
keep your shirt on
Remain calm and patient; don’t lose your temper. Dating from the nineteenth century, this American expression refers to the practice of a man removing his shirt before a fight, lest it get torn, and at first literally meant not to rush into a fight. “Tell E. Stanton to keep his undergarmints on,” wrote Artemus Ward (In Washington, 1863). Later it came to mean being patient as well.
See also: keep, on, shirt
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- keep (one's) shirt on
- keep it that way
- keep in
- keep in some place
- earn its keep
- keep away
- keep away (from someone or something)
- bear/keep somebody/something in mind
- keep (something) under wraps
- keep eye out