keep one’s balance—
1. keep from falling; remain standing:
- He slipped on the grass and as he stumbled forward, desperately trying to keep his balance, he ran into a tree.
2. retain one’s ability to exercise control:
- Now that a reaction is setting in, Mr. Gorbachev is leaning back towards the conservatives to keep his balance.
3. keep calm; not become emotionally upset:
- You know when you keep your sense of humor you also keep your balance.
4. compromise between smth.; find a middle course:
- Like other Arab leaders, Gadaffi tries to keep his balance between the “Arab street” and Uncle Sam.
keep the balance—
1. = keep one’s balance 1:
- Because of the mud I had to put my feet just above the ground ready to put them down to keep the balance when I slipped away.
2. = keep one’s balance 4:
- Lewis was a tutor who tried to keep the balance between amiability and his duty to the pupils to give them sufficient preparation.
3. maintain the condition of equilibrium between opposing forces:
- Germany must be aware that it has to keep the balance in Europe, Mr. Mitterrand said.
4. keep the change from money offered in payment:
- Pay yourself for the bottle of wine out of this, and keep the balance.