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close the stable door after the horse has bolted
to close the stable door after the horse has bolted
01
prendi provvedimenti troppo tardi per prevenire il problema
to try to prevent something bad from happening after it has already happened
Idiom
Old use
What is the origin of the idiom "close the stable door after the horse has bolted" and when to use it?
The origin of the idiom "close the stable door after the horse has bolted" goes back to a time when horses were a valuable asset and were kept in stables or barns. If a horse were to escape, it would be difficult to catch, and it would be too late to try to prevent it from happening once the horse had already bolted or been stolen. Therefore, the idiom implies that it's better to take preventative measures beforehand rather than trying to fix a problem after it has already occurred.
Esempio
It was like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.
It was like closing the barn door after the horse is stolen.
It was like shutting the barn door after the horse is stolen.
Parole Vicine