Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] Hard and fastMeaning Rigidly adhered to - without doubt or debate. Origin This is a nautical term. A ship that was hard and fast was simply one that was firmly beached on land. The term must have been well-known by the early 19th century as it was use in a figurative sense then. For example, The [London] Times, January 1820:
The Sailor's Word-Book, William Henry Smyth's 1867 nautical dictionary, defines the term:
See also - chock-a-block. See also - Nautical Phrases. |