behave oneself

present singular third person behaves oneself · participle present behaving oneself · participle past behaved oneself · past behaved oneself

1. To act in a polite or proper way.

   His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't behave himself.

   1 more example

   "That's what happened to me the last time you fired a high snowball. Peaches. That's why I didn't want you to try another while I'm around. You wait until I'm off the campus if you've got to indulge in high jinks. Come on now, fellows, since Peaches has promised to behave himself, let the merry dance go on. Have you tried a shot, Joe? Or you, Sister," and Teeter looked at the newcomers.

   1912, Stratemeyer Syndicate, chapter 1, in Baseball Joe on the School Nine

   Synonyms: behave