This expression has been traced to an order given by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864, which was repeated as “Hold the fort [against the enemy at Allatoona] at all costs, for I am coming.”
What does it mean to say hold the fort?
to have responsibility for something while someone else is absent: I’m leaving my husband to hold the fort while I’m away.
What can I say instead of hold down the fort?
- take responsibility.
- stand in.
- carry on.
- take over the reins.
- maintain the status quo.
- keep things moving.
- keep things on an even keel.
Is hold the fort a metaphor?
To keep things going until further support arrives. The expression comes, as might be suspected, from a literal military order. It has been traced to one given by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864, during the American Civil War, to Gen.
What does hold it down mean in slang?
To maintain or take care of something or someone.
Example sentence: “I love my lil shorty because she hold it down.
How are you holding up the fort?
If you hold the fort for someone or if you hold down the fort, you take care of things for them while they are somewhere else or are busy doing something else. His business partner is holding the fort while he is away.
What fort means?
Definition of fort
1 : a strong or fortified place especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification. 2 : a permanent army post —often used in place names.
What does manning the fort mean?
(idiomatic) To take care of a place or situation in another’s absence.
Is holding down the fort appropriate?
While holding down the fort is useful in social and professional settings, it’s not suitable for the boardroom or language suitable for use at professional events.
What does it mean to step into the breach?
Definition of into the breach
—used with step/leap/jump (etc.) to indicate providing help that is badly needed, such as by doing a job when there is no one else available to do it He stepped into the breach when the company needed new leadership.
How do you spell even keel?
It is always spelled as two words with no hyphen. Alternatively, even-keeled is listed in some dictionaries as an adjective meaning smooth or stable. This phrase is surely one that is in transition. If you are particularly worried about your audience, stick with the adjective or the full phrase on an even keel.
What do you mean by hold down the?
1 : to keep within limits hold the noise down. 2 : to assume or have responsibility for holding down two jobs. Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About hold-down.
How do you use Hold down in a sentence?
- Get clips to hold down the cloths so that wind does not blow them off. …
- Cynthia would attend the New Jersey wedding—thank God for Visa—while Fred and Dean would hold down Bird Song.
What is to hold someone down?
to keep someone or something in a particular place or position and to stop him, her, or it from moving: He was struggling so much it took three officers to hold him down. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Immobility.
What’s the meaning hold your horses?
idiom old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.
What is the meaning of hold it?
idiom informal. used to tell someone to wait or stop doing something: Hold it!
Where does the word forte come from?
Forte derives from the sport of fencing. When English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 17th century, it referred to the strongest part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt. It is therefore unsurprising that forte eventually developed an extended metaphorical sense for a person’s strong point.
What is the synonym of fort?
1. fortress, castle, citadel, blockhouse, burg, keep, tower, donjon, turret. stronghold, redoubt, fortification, bastion. fastness.
How do you use fort in a sentence?
- The troops besieged the fort.
- We trained our cannon upon the fort.
- The boat anchored off the fort.
- The door of the fort was riddled with bullets.
- Government forces managed to hold the fort.
- The army seized the fort.
- The attack succeeded,and the fort was taken.
- The fort flanked on a swamp.
What kind of word is fort?
A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops.
Who is manning the fort?
man the fortverb. To take care of a place or situation in another’s absence.
What fort means?
Definition of fort
1 : a strong or fortified place especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification. 2 : a permanent army post —often used in place names.