keep wits about



keep one's wits about (one)

Fig. to remain rational when threatened or under stress; to keep one's mind operating in a time of stress. If Jane hadn't kept her wits about her during the fire, things would have been much worse. I could hardly keep my wits about me.
See also: keep, wit

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Juris-Latvian
TancredTANG-krid (English)Old Norman
Arbuthnot[a:'bʌθnət]
Finch[fintʃ]
ChadwickCHAD-wikEnglish
ZilpahZIL-pə (English)Biblical, Biblical Hebrew