Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (130 page)

(I've) been getting by
.
a response to a greeting inquiry into one's well-being indicating that one is having a hard time surviving or that things are just all right but that they could be much better. (See also (I'm) just getting by.)
J
OHN
: How are things? J
ANE
: Oh, I've been getting by
.
S
UE
: How are you doing? M
ARY
: Been getting by. Things could be better.

(I've) been keeping busy
.
AND
(I've been) keeping busy
.
a typical response to a greeting inquiry asking what one has been doing. (Also reflexive:
keeping myself
.)
B
ILL
: What have you been doing? B
OB
: I've been keeping myself busy. What about you? B
ILL
: About the same
.
J
OHN
: Yo! What have you been up to? B
ILL
: Been keeping myself busy.

(I've) been keeping cool
.
AND
(I've been) keeping cool
.
an answer to a question about what one has been doing during very hot weather. (Also reflexive:
keeping yourself.
)
J
ANE
: How do you like this hot weather? B
ILL
: I've been keeping cool
.
M
ARY
: Been keeping cool? B
OB
: Yeah. Been keeping cool.

(I've) been keeping myself busy
.
AND
(I've been) keeping myself busy
.
a typical response to a greeting inquiry asking what one has been doing.
B
ILL
: What have you been doing? B
OB
: I've been keeping myself busy. What about you? B
ILL
: About the same
.
J
OHN
: Yo! What have you been up to? B
ILL
: Been keeping myself busy.

(I've) been keeping out of trouble
.
AND
(I've been) keeping out of trouble
.
a response to any greeting inquiry that asks what one has been doing. (Also reflexive:
keeping yourself.
)
J
OHN
: What have you been doing, Fred? F
RED
: Been keeping out of trouble. J
OHN
: Yeah. Me, too
.
M
ARY
: How are things, Tom? T
OM
: Oh, I've been keeping out of trouble.

(I've) been okay
.
a response to any greeting inquiry that asks how one has been.
B
ILL
: Well, how have you been, good buddy? J
OHN
: I've been okay
.
S
UE
: How you doing? J
ANE
: Been okay. And you? S
UE
: The same.