A few days ago
hurricane423

what exactly does this mean: “Batten down the hatches!”?

Just tell me what you think!

Top 7 Answers
A few days ago
dansinger61

Favorite Answer

It means, metaphorically, to prepare for a rough time ahead. It derives from shipboard jargon: decks of sailing ships had many hatches (essentially a horizontally doorway through a deck, rather than a vertical doorway through a wall) that led to the spaces below. A “batten” is the piece of wood that is placed into a slot and secures the hatch in place so that it doesn’t open inadvertently in the storm. Hence, “batten down the hatches” literally means to secure the hatches for the upcoming storm.
2

A few days ago
Benji
I believe it came from ships going for an ocean voyage the captain would say “batten down the hatches”. Meaning everything should be tied down to keep anything from falling over board during rough seas.
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4 years ago
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Batton Down The Hatches
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6 years ago
Anonymous
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RE:
what exactly does this mean: "Batten down the hatches!"?
Just tell me what you think!

0

6 years ago
Anonymous
batten hatches: https://tinyurl.im/e/what-exactly-does-this-mean-batten-down-the-hatches
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A few days ago
Anonymous
close tightly the hatches (doorways) on a ship–bad weather is coming.
2

A few days ago
Waterwitch E
God I hate that saying! I live in Florida and its a pre-requisite for anyone that is close to a hurricane. Basically, get your crap and find a safe place to be…
1

A few days ago
napoleondynamite2907
It means get your stuff together because something bad is about to happen.
1