batten down the hatches

To prepare for a challenging situation. While this originated as a nautical phrase, it is now used for any sort of imminent problem. There's a tornado coming—batten down the hatches! My mother-in-law is coming to town this weekend, so I better batten down the hatches. Exams are next week? Well, then, you kids better batten down the hatches!

See also: batten, down, hatch

count your chickens before they hatch

To celebrate, plan, or begin to take advantage of a potential positive future outcome before it has happened or been accomplished. Often issued as a warning and preceded by "don't." You're preparing your acceptance speech before even being nominated? Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test? Don't count your chickens before they hatch, babe! Don't count your chickens before they hatch, man. Harvard's a really hard school to get into.

See also: before, chicken, count, hatch

count your chickens before they're hatched

To celebrate, plan, or begin to take advantage of a potential positive future outcome before it has happened or been accomplished. Often issued as a warning and preceded by "don't." You're preparing your acceptance speech before even being nominated? Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test? Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, babe! Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, man. Harvard's a really hard school to get into.

See also: before, chicken, count, hatch

don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched

proverb Don't make plans based on future events, outcomes, or successes that might not come to pass. When my mom heard that I was preparing my campaign before even being nominated, she warned me, "Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched." Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test in the morning? Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched, babe! Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched, man. Harvard's a really hard school to get into.

See also: before, chicken, count, egg, hatch, have

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

proverb Don't make plans based on future events, outcomes, or successes that might not come to pass. When my mom heard that I was preparing my campaign before even being nominated, she warned me, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test in the morning? Don't count your chickens before they hatch, babe! Don't count your chickens before they hatch, man. Harvard's a really hard school to get into.

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

proverb Don't make plans based on future events, outcomes, or successes that might not come to pass. When my mom heard that I was preparing my campaign before even being nominated, she warned me, "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Why are you begging to drive my car to school tomorrow when you still need to take your license test in the morning? Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, babe! Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, man. Harvard's a really hard school to get into.

down the hatch

Down one's throat. This phrase is usually said before one drinks something (often something that has an especially foul or strong taste). "Well, down the hatch!" Ellen said before taking her cough medicine. Shots are on me. Down the hatch, girls! Mr. Thompson, you've got to take your medication. Come on, now, down the hatch!

See also: down, hatch

hatch out

1. Literally, to be born by emerging from an egg. The class gathered around as the baby duckling hatched out of its shell. I know the egg's in the incubator now, but the kids are dying to know when the chick's gonna hatch out. Oh gosh, look at these tiny, disoriented baby birds! It's like they just hatched out or something.

2. To devise or organize something, especially in secret. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "hatch" and "out." We hatched out a plan to steal the diamonds from the museum. We hatched the scheme out behind the boss's back. If it's too quiet in the playroom, just assume the boys are hatching out some mischief and get in there.

hatch up

To devise or organize something, especially in secret. A noun or pronoun can be used between "hatch" and "up." We hatched up a plan to steal the diamonds from the museum. We hatched the scheme up behind the boss's back. If it's too quiet in the playroom, just assume the boys are hatching up some mischief and get in there.

hatch, match, and dispatch

dated The variant spelling "despatch" is sometimes used.

1. adjective Of, describing, or relating to the major events of one's life: birth ("hatch"), marriage ("match"), and death ("dispatch"). They want all this information about Grandpa to process the transfer of the deed. Do you know where I can find his hatch, match, and dispatch documents? A: "What's in that locked, fireproof box?" B: "Well, all of our hatch, match, and dispatch paperwork, for one." Grandma always talks about how you used to be able to read the hatch, match, and dispatch write-ups in the local newspaper.

2. verb To carry out the formal ceremonies associated with birth, marriage, and death. I want the same priest to marry us that hatched, matched, and dispatched Aunt Mary. It's a shock to me that Reginald is getting married. I never thought he'd be hatched, matched, and dispatched. Well, you won't be hatched, matched, and dispatched by the same priest—he was about 100 when you were born!

hatches, matches, and despatches

dated A phrase once used to refer to the sections of newspapers that discussed births ("hatches"), weddings ("matches"), and deaths ("despatches," a variant spelling of "dispatches"). No, those two did get married—I saw it in the hatches, matches, and despatches. Grandma always talks about how you used to be able catch up on all the local news—and gossip—by reading the hatches, matches, and despatches in the newspaper. I don't think Jane has had her baby yet—I haven't seen it in the hatches, matches, and despatches, at least.

he that mischief hatches, mischief catches

Bad things will happen to you if you cause trouble. If you keep playing these practical jokes on people, Tommy, someone will eventually start playing jokes on you. He that mischief hatches, mischief catches. It's not so funny when it happens to you, huh? He that mischief hatches, mischief catches! Didn't you hear? Josh broke his arm doing one of those asinine stunts, so don't say I didn't warn you. He that mischief hatches, mischief catches.

in the booby hatch

derogatory slang In a hospital for the mentally ill. If you keep saying crazy things like that, they're going to throw you in the booby hatch. He tried to have his wife put in the booby hatch for mental incompetence so that he could take control of her finances.

nuthatch

old-fashioned slang A derogatory and offensive term for a psychiatric hospital or insane asylum. "Nut" is a derogatory slang term meaning "a crazy person." My great aunt Lidia apparently got locked up in a nuthatch when she was a teenager because she said she could commune with ghosts. I can't go to the police about it! They'd throw me in the nuthatch if I came to them with such an unbelievable story.

under the hatches

Under the deck of a boat. In modern usage, it most commonly refers to the engine of a powerboat. Their new model boasts a 9-liter engine under the hatches capable of producing 860 horsepower at 6800 RPM.

batten down the hatches

Fig. to prepare for difficult times. (From a nautical expression meaning, literally, to seal the hatches against the arrival of a storm. The word order is fixed.) Here comes that contentious Mrs. Jones. Batten down the hatches! Batten down the hatches, Congress is in session again.

See also: batten, down, hatch

count one's chickens before they hatch

Fig. to plan how to utilize good results of something before those results have occurred. (The same as Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.) You may be disappointed if you count your chickens before they hatch.

See also: before, chicken, count, hatch

Down the hatch.

I am about to drink this.; Let's all drink up. (Said as one is about to take a drink, especially of something bad-tasting or potent. Also used as a jocular toast.) Bob said, "Down the hatch," and drank the whiskey in one gulp. Let's toast the bride and groom. Down the hatch!

See also: down, hatch

hatch an animal out

to aid in releasing an animal from an egg. They hatched lots of ducks out at the hatchery. The farmer hatched out hundreds of chicks each month.

batten down the hatches

Prepare for trouble, as in Here comes the boss-batten down the hatches. This term originated in the navy, where it signified preparing for a storm by fastening down canvas over doorways and hatches (openings) with strips of wood called battens. [Late 1800s]

See also: batten, down, hatch

count one's chickens before they hatch

Make plans based on events that may or may not happen. For example, You might not win the prize and you've already spent the money? Don't count your chickens before they hatch! or I know you have big plans for your consulting business, but don't count your chickens. This expression comes from Aesop's fable about a milkmaid carrying a full pail on her head. She daydreams about buying chickens with the milk's proceeds and becoming so rich from selling eggs that she will toss her head at suitors; she then tosses her head and spills the milk. Widely translated from the original Greek, the story was the source of a proverb and was used figuratively by the 16th century. Today it is still so well known that it often appears shortened and usually in negative cautionary form ( don't count your chickens).

See also: before, chicken, count, hatch

down the hatch

Drink up, as in " Down the hatch," said Bill, as they raised their glasses. This phrase, often used as a toast, employs hatch in the sense of "a trap door found on ships." [Slang; c. 1930]

See also: down, hatch

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

not count your chickens

not count your chickens before they are hatched

If you say that you are not counting your chickens (before they are hatched), you mean that you are not making plans for the future yet because you do not know for certain how a particular situation will develop. If we get through to the next stage, we'll be competing against some top-class sides so I'm not counting my chickens. When dealing with important financial arrangements, never count your chickens before they are hatched. Note: You can also use the proverb don't count your chickens before they're hatched from which this expression comes. The contract is not signed yet. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

down the hatch

INFORMAL

If food or drink goes down the hatch, someone eats or drinks it. A record £4.4 billion worth of chocolate and sweets went down the hatch last year. She raised the shell to her lips, closed her eyes and down the hatch went the oyster. Note: People sometimes say down the hatch! just before drinking an alcoholic drink. Here's a glass for you. Down the hatch! Note: In the 18th century, this expression was used as a toast in the navy. A hatch is an opening in the deck of a ship, through which people and goods can pass.

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for a difficult situation by doing everything you can to protect yourself. While most companies are battening down the hatches, fearing recession, Blenheim is leading an assault on the US market. Banks seem to be battening down the hatches in anticipation of further trouble. Note: Battens are strips of wood used for fastening things down. Hatches are openings in the deck of a ship, or the wooden flaps which cover the openings.

See also: batten, down, hatch

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

batten down the hatches

prepare for a difficulty or crisis.

Batten down the hatches was originally a nautical term meaning ‘make a ship's hatches secure with gratings and tarpaulins’ in expectation of stormy weather.

1998 Oldie They endured the hard pounding of the Seventies, when Labour battened down the hatches, and soldiered through the follies of the early Eighties.

See also: batten, down, hatch

down the hatch

used to express friendly feelings towards your companions before drinking. informal

See also: down, hatch

hatches, matches, and despatches

the births, marriages, and deaths columns in a newspaper. humorous, dated

under (the) hatches

1 below deck in a ship. 2 concealed from public knowledge.

ˌbatten down the ˈhatches

prepare yourself for a period of difficulty or trouble: Hollywood is battening down the hatches in expectation of a strike by actors and writers this summer.A batten is a long piece of wood which was used to hold down strong material in order to cover a ship’s hatches (= openings in the deck of a boat leading to the lower level) in a storm.

See also: batten, down, hatch

not count your ˈchickens (before they’re ˈhatched)

not be too confident of success until it actually happens: She said she was certain to be offered a part in the play, but I told her not to count her chickens, as a lot of other people wanted the same part.

ˌdown the ˈhatch

(informal) said before you drink alcohol: He raised his glass, said ‘Down the hatch’, and then drank it all at once!This is thought to come from ships, where goods go down through the hatch (= an opening in the floor) to be stored for the journey, as if they are being swallowed.

See also: down, hatch

Down the hatch!

exclam. Let’s drink it! (see also hatch.) Down the hatch! Have another?

hatch

n. the mouth. (see also Down the hatch!.) Pop this in your hatch.

nuthatch

verb

See nuthouse

down the hatch

Slang

Drink up. Often used as a toast.

See also: down, hatch

batten down the hatches

To prepare for an imminent disaster or emergency.

See also: batten, down, hatch

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

batten down the hatches, to

To get ready for trouble. A nautical term dating from the early nineteenth century, it signified preparing for bad weather by fastening down the battens, strips of wood nailed to various parts of masts and spars, and fastening tarpaulins over the ship’s hatchways (doorways and other openings). The term began to be used figuratively as preparing for any emergency by the late nineteenth century. See also clear the decks.

don't count your chickens before they hatch

Don’t spend or try to profit from something not yet earned. This expression comes from Aesop’s fable about a milkmaid carrying a full pail on her head who daydreams about selling the milk for eggs that will hatch into chickens and make her so rich she will toss her head at offers of marriage; but she prematurely tosses her head and spills the milk. It was, like so many Greek fables, translated into modern European languages and passed on. The expression was in use figuratively by the sixteenth century and appeared in proverb collections soon afterward.

See also: before, chicken, count, hatch

down the hatch

Drink it down, a toast for drinkers. The allusion is to the naval hatch, an opening in a ship’s deck through which cargo, passengers, or crew can pass. The transfer to the human mouth or throat was made long before this slangy expression came into use. John Heywood’s 1546 proverb collection included, “It is good to haue a hatche before the durre,” meaning it is good to have some impediment to speaking before one opens one’s mouth, so as to have time to reflect. The metaphor also appears in Stephen Gosson’s The Schoole of Abuse (1579): “I wish that every rebuker shoulde place a hatch before the door.” The drinker’s meaning, however, is a twentieth-century expression, first appearing in print in the early 1930s, as in Malcolm Lowry’s Ultramarine (1933): “Well, let’s shoot a few whiskies down the hatch.”

See also: down, hatch

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