What Does “keep up with the Joneses” mean?
Definition:
If you keep up with the Joneses, you try to do the same things as your neighbors to appear as successful as they are and not be outdone by them.
Failing to “keep up with the Joneses” is seen as showing some kind of inferiority.
The origin of the idiom
The idiom was first mentioned in the comic strip “Keeping Up with the Joneses”, created by Arthur R. “Pop” Momand in 1913. The strip describes the McGinnis family, who struggle to “keep up” with the lifestyle of their neighbors, the unseen Joneses. The Joneses were unseen characters throughout the strip’s run, often spoken of but never shown. The idiom ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ has remained popular long after the strip’s end.
It should be noted that the term “Jones” is one of the most common family names. It is used as a generic name for neighbors or peers.
More about this idiom on Wikipedia
Example(s)
He works day and night just to keep up with the Joneses.
I’m sick of everyone trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Why are some people trying to keep up with the Joneses by buying expensive cars and clothes that they can’t afford?
While trying to keep up with the Joneses, they are all the more likely to end up poor.
Do you want what your neighbors have so much that you struggle to keep up with the Joneses? If you do, you have to change your perspectives!
