Etymology Journal ยท H
Hold the fort!
Meaning
- To stay behind and maintain order while others are busy doing something else. It is a classic way of saying you are in charge of security or operations.
Dependable, steady
Used in a sentence
- I need someone to hold the fort while I go to the bank.
- He stayed home to hold the fort while the rest of the family went to the concert.
- Everything went well while I was out because Jane was here to hold the fort.
The backstory
Derived from military lingo, where defenders were tasked with guarding a fortification against an enemy. It has evolved into a common household and office expression.
Heard in
Nationwide
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