out of difficulty; clear of trouble.
Business at the store is bad. They can't keep their heads above water.
How are your marks at school? Are you keeping your head above water?
To remain solvent; manage to stay out of debt.
Держаться на плаву, справляться с трудностями.
Herb's income declined so drastically that he now has difficulty keeping his head above water.
We have so little money that we can hardly keep our heads above water.
У нас так мало денег, что мы едва справляемся.