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Fort Teacher Watching Hold Late Door Held Room

Idiom Hold the Fort
Example Our teacher was late, so the teacher next door held the fort in our room until he showed up.
Meaning to temporarily be responsible for watching over a place; to fight off trouble or keep watch
Origin This expression comes from the military. It was widely used in books and early movies about the old West. Often when a fort was being attacked by enemies on the frontier or during the Civil War, the soldiers defending it were told, "Hold the fort. Don't give up. Help is on its way." Today you can "hold the fort" by watching the children in someone's house until a parent returns or by taking care of a store while the owner's away.

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