Asked in Word and Phrase Origins
Word and Phrase Origins
Origin of the idiom keep at bay?
Answer
Wiki User
February 05, 2009 3:19PM
This is not really an idiom. Baying is a continuous barking by hounds. To keep something at bay means to prevent its escape by surrounding it with barking dogs, or by extension, to prevent a problem from getting out of control by maintaining constant vigilance.
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