keep score

English

Verb

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

1. (sports, games) To keep track of the score in a game.
2. (by extension, figuratively) To keep track of figures, numbers or other details in various other contexts.
   • 1977 April 30, Steven Blevins, “Sexism in the Bars, Baths, and Bushes”, in Gay Community News, page 5:

     Too many of us are attempting to "prove" our manhood by the tired heterosexual method of "keeping score".

   • 1998 August 19, rena, “what's the deal??”, in alt.support.depression.flame‎^[1] (Usenet):

     i never, EVER entered into a friendship with the idea that i was *owed* anything by that person. i never "kept score". not ever.

   • 2000 August 12, meg...@abacom.com, “Inner Voice”, in sci.philosophy.meta‎^[2] (Usenet):

     I've been praying on my own since very, very young [...] but it "degenerated" in me talking to God direct [...] and asking various things for others, sometimes for myself. It worked very often but I never kept score.

Related terms

• scorekeeper