English is not my first language, so take this with a grain of salt: as far as I'm aware, "keeping something on the down-low" usually means keeping something secret, while "being on the down-low" is generally men secretly having sex with other other men while publicly ID'ing as straight, often while being in a relationship with a woman.
Jasmijn Wellner
2024-12-22 22:38:26 +0000 UTC
@Jasmijn Wellner: I doubt that Joe would be surprised
Harold
2024-12-22 22:37:57 +0000 UTC
Joyce baby, don't say you're on the down-low right in front of your boyfriend!
Jasmijn Wellner
2024-12-22 22:34:35 +0000 UTC
Until this moment I wasn't aware "the down low" meant anything specific as to what is being kept secret.
Internet definitions still seem to list the generic, non-sexual version first, so I feel somewhat justified.