keep off the streets

• keep off the street

keep off the streets (third-person singular simple present keeps off the streets, present participle keeping off the streets, simple past and past participle kept off the streets)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To inspire or cause (someone) to avoid idleness, unemployment, poverty, or antisocial behavior.
   • 1992, Les Roberts, chapter 4, in Seeing the Elephant, →ISBN:

     "Dolly Nemeroff said you're a private detective in California."
     […] "It's an archaic line of work, but it keeps me off the streets."

   • 2010 January 10, Michael Crabb, “Former bad boy now a prince”, in Toronto Star, Canada, retrieved 9 March 2022:

     The Prague-born Jelinek, 32, arrived in Toronto this month to become a principal with the National Ballet of Canada. […] But he'd never have reached this point if his single mom, who died when he was 17, hadn't put him in ballet school to keep him off the streets.

   • 2010 October 24, Julia Werdigier, “British Kids Log On and Learn Math — in Punjab”, in New York Times, retrieved 9 March 2022:

     "The kids love it because they love computers," said Ms. Hanson, "and I love it because it helps them with their education while keeping them off the streets."

   • 2013 April 10, Michelle Obama, “Remarks by the First Lady at the Joint Luncheon Meeting”, in obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, retrieved 9 March 2022:

     And back then, our parents knew that if they loved and encouraged us, if they kept us off the streets and out of trouble, then we'd be okay.