With an unprecedented storm heading our way, with possible winds of up to 50-60 miles an hour, friends are advising i batten down the hatches. Sure, I say, gotta batten. Then I wondered what the heck that phrase means. So, thanks to The Phrase Finder, here the skinny: Meaning -- Prepare for trouble. Hatch is one of those words with dozens of meanings in the dictionary. In this case we are looking at the opening in the deck of a ship meaning. Ships hatches, more formally called hatchways, were commonplace on sailing ships and were normally either open or covered with a wooden grating to allow for ventilation of the lower decks. When bad weather was imminent, the hatches were covered with tarpaulin and the covering was edged with wooden strips, known as battens, to prevent it from blowing off. Not surprisingly, sailors called this battening down. phrases.org.uk/meanings/batten-down-the-hatches.html
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 06:27:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015