keep one's eye in

present singular third person keeps one's eye in · participle present keeping one's eye in · participle past kept one's eye in · past kept one's eye in

1. UKTo keep in practice.

   He went trap-shooting to keep his eye in, out of season

   1981 July, Nadine Gorimer, “July's People”, in Mother Jones Magazine, volume 6, number 6, page 46

   2 more examples

   A man must have some work to keep his eye in and his muscles at work.

   1906 July 19, Mr. Crooks, The parliamentary debates, volume 161

   He'd have a beer first, just to keep his eye in; and afterwards he would have a little of the hard stuff.

   1968, John Le Carré, A Small Town in Germany, page 29

   Synonyms: keep one's hand in