What does “you’ve been keeping him quiet” mean?
Old friends talk about love and marriage
A2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little
Hearing about her friend’s new boyfriend, one woman says, “You’ve been keeping him very quiet.” She isn’t talking about noise. To keep someone quiet here means: you didn’t tell anyone about this person, you kept it a secret. It’s a gentle, friendly accusation: “why didn’t you mention him sooner?”
“Quiet” usually describes sound, but English also uses it for information you hold back: “keep something quiet” means not telling people about it, whether it’s news, a plan, or, as here, a new relationship. You’ll also hear “keep it quiet” for a secret in general: “Keep it quiet, but we’re moving next month.”
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A2 English listening practice video?
How common in written English
How common in spoken English
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.