Hard and fast

Meaning

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:

"She was laid before the fire, at about a yard distance, and was hard and fast asleep."

The Sailor's Word-Book, William Henry Smyth's 1867 nautical dictionary, defines the term:

"Hard and fast. Said of a ship on shore."

See also - chock-a-block.

See other Nautical Phrases.