keep up appearances
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Related to kept up appearances: keep up appearances
keep up appearances
To act as though everything is normal or fine in times of trouble. I tried very hard to keep up appearances as I fell further and further into credit card debt.
keep up appearances
to make things look all right whether they are or not. We must keep up appearances even if it means little sacrifices here and there. Things may be unpleasant, but we will keep up appearances.
keep up appearances
COMMON
1. If you keep up appearances, you pretend that a situation is good and as it should be, even though it is not. I was determined to keep up appearances by pretending nothing was wrong. The marriage was failing, but we tried to keep up appearances for the sake of the children.
2. If you keep up appearances, you try to behave and dress in a way that people expect of you, even if you can no longer afford it. His parents' obsession with keeping up appearances haunted his childhood.