Does "keep your peace" mean to say nothing bad about a situation, or to say nothing at all about it, even if it is good?
This inquiring mind would like to know...
Thanks, SunSeeker
Does "keep your peace" mean to say nothing bad about a situation, or to say nothing at all about it, even if it is good?
This inquiring mind would like to know...
Thanks, SunSeeker
For me, it means to not say derogatory things about a subject just to say something. That doesn't mean you should remain silent if a negative comment is appropriate.
I think it means don't say anything as in anyone who objects to the marriage must "speak now or forever hold your peace."
From Collins dictionary:
If you hold or keep your peace, you do not speak, even though there is something you want or ought to say.
I have heard it used both ways: to suppress negative comments as well as to suppress ALL commentary.
In my mind (just opinion not fact) the usage of that term feels better/more natural when using it to tell someone to suppress negative commentary.
yeah I heard it's for all commentary as well as negative only, but my thoughts were for negative commentary only, so thought I'd ask here.
SunSeeker
From Britannica:
Hold your peace means the same as hold your tongue: "to keep silent or to not say anything about something."
You must hold your peace and accept the changes.
The waiter was discreet and held his peace.
Being a non-religious person, I never knew the origin was the Christian Bible.
I used a line like that in the story I'm trying to work on right now (Knox #3). "Shut your pie hole," is the line a grandfather says to one of his grandsons.
I thought it was "forever hold your peace," until I remembered what I typed. (My memory is SO bad these days ...)
Hold your peace means the same as hold your tongue
Holed your tongue, now hold your pierce ;-)
AJ