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batten down the hatches

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batten down the hatches

To prepare for a challenging situation. While this originated as a nautical phrase, it is now used for any sort of imminent problem. There's a tornado coming—batten down the hatches! My mother-in-law is coming to town this weekend, so I better batten down the hatches.

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

Fig. to prepare for difficult times. (From a nautical expression meaning, literally, to seal the hatches against the arrival of a storm. The word order is fixed.) Here comes that contentious Mrs. Jones. Batten down the hatches! Batten down the hatches, Congress is in session again.

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

to prepare yourself for a difficult period by protecting yourself in every possible way

Usage notes: When there is a storm, ships batten down the hatches (= close the doors to the outside) as protection against bad weather.

When you're coming down with a cold, all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for the body to fight it off.

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

Prepare for trouble, as in Here comes the boss-batten down the hatches. This term originated in the navy, where it signified preparing for a storm by fastening down canvas over doorways and hatches (openings) with strips of wood called battens. [Late 1800s]

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

To prepare for an imminent disaster or emergency.

See also: down, hatch