batten down the hatches

The phrase "batten down the hatches" means to prepare or secure a place or situation for an imminent or impending difficult or dangerous event, typically involving extreme weather conditions. It originated from seafaring terminology, where hatches are the openings in a ship's deck that are covered with wooden boards called battens, and securing them tightly helps to make the ship watertight and prepared for rough seas or storms. The phrase has been adopted metaphorically to indicate the need to make necessary preparations and precautions before a challenging situation.