keep off

keep off idiom
  1. Ward off, avert, as in She used a bug spray to keep off the mosquitoes. [Mid-1500s]
  2. Stay away from, not touch or trespass on; also, prevent from touching or trespassing. For example, They put up a sign asking the public to keep off their property, or Please keep your feet off the sofa. [Late 1500s] Also see hands off.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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