does anyone know the origin of this, does it mean not answer, or just keep oneself in the eye rather than the middle of the storm, and is it piece or peace?
TIA

It’s peace: "hold your peace" equalling "maintain your silence".

The phrase occurs frequently in the Bible—suggesting it was very current at the time of that book’s first translation into English (it seems to correspond to the Hebrew root HSH, meaning "hush, keep silent, be still")—and its most famous liturgical use is in the wedding-ceremony formula: "Speak now, or forever hold your peace".

As to peace/piece, I am reminded of a teacher from my school days who would almost always—provoking that helplessly enraged "Oh, no: he’s going to say it again" feeling—dismiss classes who were leaving the room a little noisily with the words: "Depart in peace and not in pieces".

Coemgenus

As to peace/piece, I am reminded of a teacher from my school days who would almost always—provoking that helplessly enraged "Oh, no: he’s going to say it again" feeling—dismiss classes who were leaving the room a little noisily with the words: "Depart in peace and not in pieces".

Gosh, Coem, it sounds as though we had the same teacher. Did you call him "Hitler" behind his back, I wonder? :D

There’s nothing quite like the painful and oft repeated wit of a tyrant, is there. Ho. Ho.

- PW

I’m going to divulge a rather vulgar pun I ran with once.  And I’ll blame it (the divulgence) on my crown (the dental kind), which I received yesterday afternoon.

I was taking a longish trip once (the physical kind), back in college, with some friends.  As we approached the last pit stop that would be available for some time, as the driver, I suggested that whoever needs to break should ‘speak now, or forever hold your pis*!’

<groan>

-Tim