Fingers in the dike

Posted by ESC September 25, 2008 at 08:27In reply to Fingers in the dike posted by Shashwat Shukla on September 25, 2008 at 07:01:

Can anyone guide me to explain the meaning of phrase "fingers in the dike" please?

Finger in the dike. It is a "supposed Dutch" folk tale about a little boy who saved a city by pluggimg a leak in the dike with his finger. It is used to mean taking an emergency measure to avert disaster. But there is a sense of danger -- the dike could break at any moment.