Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

keep the pot boiling en · VERB

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To maintain one's livelihood; to continue to procure the necessities of living.
  2. (idiomatic) To continue going on actively, as in certain games.
    • These are in the nature of party games intended for fun rather than competition, though part of the fun may well consist in imposing forfeits on players who fail to keep the pot boiling. 1982, David Sidney Parlett, The Penguin book of word games, page 55:
    • Of course, you intend to reach game eventually; on the next round you can keep the pot boiling with Three Diamonds. 1969, Terence Reese, Albert Dormer, How to play a better game of bridge, page 42:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
keeping the pot boiling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
keeps the pot boiling Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
kept the pot boiling Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kept the pot boiling Tense=Past lexicographic