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#1 2010-09-27 19:24:43

klakritz
Eggcornista
From: Winchester Massachusetts
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 674

'batter down the hatches'

It joins ‘button down the hatches,’ ‘baton down the hatches,’ and ‘batten down the hatchets.’ This variant reverses the meaning, although many users don’t notice. 6k ghits:

In any storm, you have no choice but to “batter down the hatches.” You should cut all discretionary spending and build up cash reserves …
www.briantracy.com/blog/brians-words-of … the-storm/

In some cases it’s just cut up your credit cards, batter down the hatches, start shopping at say Netto instead of Waitrose, ...
www.moneysupermarket.com/c/.../0003444/ – United Kingdom

Batter down the hatches folks its going to get many times worse. I believe unemployment is much higher than the government claims.
www.nola.com/news/.../shellmotiva_cut_j … art_o.html

Of course Nathan and crew at the Eastern Creek Tavern better batter down the hatches as Deno and the boys will be raiding all and sundry …
www.nitromater.com/nhra…/9737-den-doe … mmers.html

We have a special treat for you tonight, as we batter down the hatches, damn the torpedoes, and set out onto the choppy waters …
cewshreviews.blogspot.com/

It is the top management that should batter down the hatches by letting stuff know their contingency plan and treating them like partners. ...
india.smetoolkit.org/.../Overreacting-to-recession-beware-of-boomerang-effects

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#2 2010-09-27 20:31:03

patschwieterman
Administrator
From: California
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 1680

Re: 'batter down the hatches'

I thought this sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember where it first occurred. Turns out it was me, writing in the “Baton down the hatches” thread about four years ago:

“Button down the hatches” has been contributed a number of times, but it just occurred to me to wonder whether “batter down the hatches” has ever made it onto the forum. Hard to believe that Ken Lakritz would have missed that one, but I can’t find it.

I knew Ken would get to it!

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#3 2010-09-28 00:02:20

klakritz
Eggcornista
From: Winchester Massachusetts
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 674

Re: 'batter down the hatches'

D’oh!

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#4 2011-03-14 23:55:27

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2851

Re: 'batter down the hatches'

Also occurs in the present participle/gerund format “batting down the hatches” at least a hundred times on the web:

Title of a blog entry about an upcoming typhoon: “ Batting Down the Hatches ”

Independent media news report: “Protesters in Oaxaca are batting down the hatches by reinforcing barricades and preparing themselves for the worst as the past week of terror has left one teacher dead. ”

Post on boating forum: “This time around EVERYONE will be batting down the hatches sooner, so the rush will be sooner.”


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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