close / shut / lock the stable / barn door after the horse has bolted / is stolen

/klˈəʊs ʃˈʌt lˈɒk ðə stˈeɪbəl bˈɑːn dˈɔːɹ ˈaftə ðə hˈɔːs hɐz bˈəʊltɪd ɪz stˈəʊlən/

/klˈoʊs ʃˈʌt lˈɑːk ðə stˈeɪbəl bˈɑːɹn dˈoːɹ ˈæftɚ ðə hˈɔːɹs hɐz bˈoʊltᵻd ɪz stˈoʊlən/

[phrase]

to close / shut / lock the stable / barn door after the horse has bolted / is stolen

[PHRASE]

to try to prevent something bad from happening after it has already happened

to [close|shut|lock] the (stable|barn) door after the horse (has bolted|is stolen) definition and meaning

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.

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