keep one's shirt on
noun
Idioms 1.
a long- or short-sleeved garment for the upper part of the body, usually lightweight and having a collar and a front opening.
2.
an undergarment of cotton, or other material, for the upper part of the body.
3.
a shirtwaist.
4.
a nightshirt.
5.
in one's shirt sleeves, without a coat: It was so hot that they worked in their shirt sleeves. Also, in one's shirt-sleeves.
6.
keep one's shirt on, Informal. to refrain from becoming angry or impatient; remain calm: Tell him to keep his shirt on until we're ready.
7.
lose one's shirt, Informal. to lose all that one possesses; suffer a severe financial reverse: He lost his shirt in the stock market.
00:10
Keep one's shirt on
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Origin:
before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt
before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt
Related forms
shirt·less, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
shirt (ʃɜːt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a garment worn on the upper part of the body, esp by men, usually of light material and typically having a collar and sleeves and buttoning up the front |
| 2. | nightshirt short for undershirt |
| 3. | informal keep your shirt on refrain from losing your temper (often used as an exhortation to another) |
| 4. | informal put one's shirt on to bet all one has on (a horse, etc) |
| 5. | informal lose one's shirt on to lose all one has on (a horse, etc) |
| [Old English scyrte; related to Old English sceort | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shirt
O.E. scyrte "skirt, tunic," from P.Gmc. *skurtijon "a short garment" (cf. O.N. skyrta, Swed. skjorta "skirt, kirtle;" M.Du. scorte, Du. schort "apron;" M.H.G. schurz, Ger. Schurz "apron"), from the same source as O.E. scort, sceort (see short). Formerly of garments worn by
both sexes, but long in modern use only for men; in ref. to women's tops, reintroduced 1896. Shirt-sleeve in ref. to "without a coat" first recorded 1566. Bloody shirt, exposed as a symbol of outrage, is attested from 1586. To give (someone) the shirt off one's back is from 1771. To lose one's shirt "suffer total financial loss" is from 1935. To keep one's shirt on "be patient" (1904) is from the notion of stripping down for a fight.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
keep one's shirt on
Stay calm, be patient; not give way to temper or excitement. For example, Keep your shirt on, Bob, they'll be here in time for the wedding. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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