Keep your feet on the ground (1896, 1913); Keep your fingers crossed (1913)

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"KEEP YOUR CHIN UP" CORRECTION:  Sorry for that 1873 American Periodical Series cite still there.  It has "your chin up," but I didn't find it.  No "keep your chin up."

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KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED

   Gregory Titelman's AMERICAN POPULAR PROVERBS AND SAYINGS has: "Originated in the 1920s."


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Wichita Daily Times - 6/13/1913
...615 Eighth DOUBLE HOODOO TODAY KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED For Bad Luck Is Apt to Be.....tbe 13th and only those who have kept their FINGERS CROSSED tho day bavo como through.....at 10.00; saving of 3.50 IJ This makes YOUR second suit come pretty easy; it's a big.....from. We guarantee you a perfect fit or YOUR money refunded Our to all: One-third..
Wichita Falls, Texas   Friday, June 13, 1913  303 k

Oxnard Daily Courier - 2/7/1920
...WHAT 1975 WILL PRODUCE Feb. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED in 1975. As far as that goes.....any month of the present year is likely to KEEP you "knocking wood" and praying to YOUR..
Oxnard, California   Saturday, February 07, 1920  692 k

Iowa City Press Citizen - 10/13/1922
...vessels racing to the scene KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED Look out -or ladders an-J.....Oct. I" The c'ers who had to haro spurs to KEEP viction of ihe Eev. Thomas J. their feei.....jinx idea, here are a few arguments in YOUR favor. CoJumbus' expedition which..
Iowa City, Iowa   Friday, October 13, 1922  818 k

Fort Wayne News - 3/29/1916
...lines for next Wednesday mornIng. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED-SUN'S SHINING THE WEATHERMAN.....but don't say it .too loudly and KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED, .because the weather man has.....with the first application or return YOUR money. There are lota of shin remedies..

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KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

   Titelman has: "The proverb is first attested in the United States in 1931."
   There's the 1913 citation below, with a reference to the Yale Alumni Association, but I'm sure Fred won't mention that in the YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS.  Yale can't get everything!


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND.
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Feb 1, 1913. p. 12 (1 page):
   Mr. TAFT is a fine lawyer, he was a sound Judge, has proved by many tests his ability as an administrative officer, and promises to become an excellent teacher.  He has laid down at least one safe and sane condition.
   Speaking the other night to the Yale Alumni Association in Washington he said that the men who have been teaching political economy in our universities in recent years have not kept their feet on the ground, with the result that the undergraduates have not been properly indoctrinated in true Americanism. (...)

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Wall Street Journal (1889-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Apr 1, 1919. p. 1 (1 page)
   _Keep your Feet on the Ground_
(...)
   BABSON'S STATISTICAL ORGANIZATION

SOLIDITY OF TAMPA IMPRESSES VISITORS; BACKGROUND IS REAL; Much Industrial Development Seen; Surrounding Country Is Immensely Rich. RESOURCES OF BANKS GAIN $56,000,000 Makes More Clear Havana Cigars Than Does the Capital of Cuba.
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 27, 1925. p. FDN5 (1 page):
   Tampa, Dec. 26.--"Hitch your wagon to a star" is a favorite admonition of the idealist.  It simply means to aim high.  "Keep your feet on the ground" is another bit of advice, not so alluring as the wagon-hitching phrase, but with more appeal to the person who has an eye on the eternal verities.


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   (NOTE:  The "1889" MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT "hits" are mis-dated and removed--ed.)
Trenton Evening Times - 8/14/1920
...Success THE rules for golf arc KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE' GROUND; KEEP YOUR eye ON THE.....for success are YOUR-funtis-in-ihe baiilT; KEEP YOUR eye ON YOUR goal, And cany ON.....ESCAPE. THE Legislature having frowned ON THE propositiON that, THE State purchase.....side-tracked THE Whitman Home bill. THE Hick FIGHTING BLOOD. THE slogan of THE..
Trenton, New Jersey   Saturday, August 14, 1920  847 k

Gastonia Daily Gazette - 6/3/1920
...he an swered: "1 WOOD'S WORDS "KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND and YOUR eyes ON Cod.....American sailors reaching THEir unpracticed FEET for THE liar mils in Dirty I'lace, or.....with us came THE chief American port ON tin' cONtinent, to catch THE trade of THE.....here. If you are ambitious for YOURself or YOUR loved ONes, start an account..
Gastonia, North Carolina   Thursday, June 03, 1920  544 k

Indiana Evening Gazette - 3/5/1921
...ONe.) DON't become a high flyer KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND. ;Reznor Gas' Heaters to.....hearing ON THE railroads' applicatiON to THE Railroad Labor Board for abrogatiON of.....Hard-ware and good service -Why not do YOUR IHppping at THE Big1 Warehou.: THE.....under THE guardianship of THE council. THE milk valued at is THE cONtributiON to THE..
Indiana, Pennsylvania   Saturday, March 05, 1921  1028 k

Mountain Democrat - 2/4/1922
...serviceable. makes ha told her. "KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND, Snowbird; THE house is.....pace down THE ridge. Dan had to race to KEEP ap with her. But it waaut entirely wise.....And by THE tim> he had crawled ONe hundred FEET over THE snow crust THE whole structure.....THE citizens as a gymnasium and cONference GROUND. It was here that Plato purchased a..
Placerville, California   Saturday, February 04, 1922  865 k

Massillon Independent - 8/22/1895
...her lips vinemously an stampin her purty FEET ON THE GROUND. go away, woman, an dON't.....caji give, YOUR nii'.jfsty a hit of cord to KEEP THE crown sal'-. Mr. Mi chael. rournl jn.....breakfast an found his majesty sit wud his FEET in a tub of hot wr groaiiin mighty bard.....Tieruan should be threadiu 01 ench delicate GROUND, or perhaps it dhread that he was..
Massillon, Ohio   Thursday, August 22, 1895  815 k

Indianapolis Star - 3/6/1910
...that diabolical crank la. want to KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE soft pedal. You went to work.....him how glad I was to got my FEET ON THE GROUND again. f got out as best I could.....it's THE extraordinary circumstances that KEEP coming up that Jar you out of YOUR.....that hill, YOUR rear wheels are liable to KEEP ON going. That's what THEy call skidding..
Indianapolis, Indiana   Sunday, March 06, 1910  1188 k

Newark Daily Advocate - 8/2/1896
...opiniON that preachers should KEEP both FEET ON THE GROUND and not strike a gait of.....life. "Now, all you have to do is to KEEP YOUR FEET cm THE pedals, and dON't hesitate.....accepted, and he was told to sit down and KEEP quiet until THE meeting adjourned. M.....Formerly he had THE hardest kind of work to KEEP his cONgregatiON awake, not to say..
Newark, Ohio   Sunday, August 02, 1896  878 k