Keep the wolves at bay

Meaning

Keep danger or poverty from hurting you.

Usage

Used when defending against threats or scarcity.

Origin & History

Origins and dates here are approximate summaries. Many idioms have disputed or unknown origins, and not every date has been checked against a historical dictionary, so treat specific dates and stories as a starting point rather than a citation.

Farmers imagined wolves that threatened livestock and had to be kept away.

Used in American and British frontier stories throughout the nineteenth century.