battening down
Preparing for storms
Battening down is securing or fastening things tightly in preparation for difficulty or danger.
The phrase comes from nautical practice—sailors batten down hatches by covering them with tarps and wooden strips (battens) before storms.
Now used broadly: We're battening down for the recession.
Often appears as batten down the hatches, meaning to prepare for trouble.
- batteningGrowing fat; securing
- tarpaulinWaterproof protective sheeting
- bracingRefreshingly keen or stimulating
- brace yourselfPrepare for impact
- bulkheadInternal vessel barrier
hatch · boarding up · preparing · rigging · ballast · cleat · stockpiling · sandbagging · anchor · weatherproofing · anticipating · fortitude · mooring · sheltering · fortifying · barricading · securing · safeguarding