(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) Originally an Irish saying referring to keeping your horse (and buggy) on the road when either the terrain or your spirit or speed was challenging, it was brought to America by immigrant settlers and made popular in the Southern states. It was also popularised by the fictional "Duke Brothers " in the TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard" based in rural Georgia. In recent years the phase has morphed into the meaning of "Clean Living", The rock band Drive By Truckers used the phrase in their song "The Righteous Path." Some members of the band are from the northern part of Alabama.
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keep it between the ditches (third-person singular simple present keeps it between the ditches, present participle keeping it between the ditches, simple past and past participle kept it between the ditches)