keep one's eyes peeled

English

Etymology

US, 19th century. Peeled probably refers to keeping one's eyelids retracted.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

keep one's eyes peeled

1. (intransitive, idiomatic, (with "for")) To be on the alert, to be watchful.
   • 1990, Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park:

     And directly below is our Mesozoic jungle river -- where, if you are lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of a very rare carnivore. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone!

   • 2003 November 14, Laura Bly, “Sailing into the past”, in USA Today:

     lookouts posted to the port and starboard bows keep their eyes peeled for the ghostly outline of approaching traffic.

Synonyms

• (to be watchful): keep an eye out, keep one's eyes open

Translations

to be watchful

• Finnish: pitää varansa, pitää silmällä (fi)
• French: être attentif, être vigilant, être sur ses gardes
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: die Augen offen halten