KEEP ME POSTED

Origin:  This expression comes from the pre-internet and even the pre-electronic era. It could have several origins. “Post” refers to mail, so to keep someone informed refers to sending them information, originally by mail. It may also come from the practice of accounting. When book keeping was still done by hand instead of on an Excel spreadsheet, accountants would “post” the latest figures, i.e. profits or losses or expenditures, on a daily basis. The word “post” has Middle and Old English roots going back to the Latin “postis”

Usage: Formal, Informal, spoken, written, general American   and British English.

Idiomatic Meaning: Provide someone with current, up-to-the minute information

Literal Meaning: There could be several meanings here: 1) it could mean a request to constantly send the person through the mail – not a likely meaning 2) “post” can also refer to a sharp wooden individual piece of a fence, as in a fence post, so another possible meaning is a request to make sure the person is fenced in 3) as a verb, “to post” something may also mean to place or glue a poster to a wall announcing some event.

Why is this funny? There is a product manufactured by the Scotch tape people, called “Post-it”. It’s a pad of square yellow and other colored paper, one end o which is glue attached to it. You can write notes on the paper and then stick it to any surface. The name itself is a pun on the verb “post” (see definition #3 above). This enable you to “post a post-it”. In the cartoon the figure on the wall is saying it want to be kept informed. That’s what the little girl is doing. She’s keeping him posted with post-its.

Sample sentence: I’m going out of town for a while; keep me posted about any changes in the office.