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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

keep one's nose clean en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To stay out of trouble, especially by avoiding unlawful behavior.
    • They tell us, "Keep your nose clean and you'll no doubt make a parole." So we keep our noses very clean. 1947, American Correctional Association, American Journal of Correction, page 6:
    • Alaska Congressman Don Young . . . spent a huge share of his campaign donations on legal fees to keep his nose clean in the face of an FBI investigation into his dealings. 2008 November 5, Nathan Thornburgh, “Ted Stevens Sins, and (Likely) Wins”, in Time, retrieved 25 Aug 2013:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
kept one's nose clean Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kept one's nose clean Tense=Past lexicographic
keeps one's nose clean Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
keeping one's nose clean Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic