lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

To try to prevent or rectify a problem after the damage has already been done. My father quit smoking after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, but I'm afraid he's locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

See also: after, bolt, door, horse, lock, stable

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

shut/lock/close the stable door after the horse has ˈbolted

(British English) (American English shut, etc. the barn door after the horse has eˈscaped) take action to prevent something bad from happening after it has already happened: Last week all their silver was stolen; this week they’re putting in a burglar alarm! That’s really shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

See also: after, bolt, close, door, horse, lock, shut, stable

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

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

To take precautions after damage has been done. This proverb, found in many languages, first appeared in a French collection of ca. 1190 and found its way into a Middle English manuscript, Douce MS, by about 1350. It has been repeated ever since. Stanley Walker poked fun at it (The Uncanny Knacks of Mr. Doherty, 1941): “He locked the stable door while they were putting the cart before the horse.”

See also: after, barn, bolt, door, horse, lock, stable

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

See also:

lock the barn door after the horse has bolted
lock the barn/stable door after the horse has bolted/is stolen, to
lock the stable door after the horse is stolen
stolen
closing the stable door after the horse has bolted
close the barn door after the horse has bolted
close the stable door after the horse has bolted
shut/lock/close the stable door after the horse has bolted
shut the stable door after the horse has bolted
mend one's fences

词组	lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
释义	lock the stable door after the horse has bolted lock the stable door after the horse has bolted To try to prevent or rectify a problem after the damage has already been done. My father quit smoking after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, but I'm afraid he's locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. See also: after, bolt, door, horse, lock, stable Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. shut/lock/close the stable door after the horse has ˈbolted (British English) (American English shut, etc. the barn door after the horse has eˈscaped) take action to prevent something bad from happening after it has already happened: Last week all their silver was stolen; this week they’re putting in a burglar alarm! That’s really shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. See also: after, bolt, close, door, horse, lock, shut, stable Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary lock the barn/stable door after the horse has bolted/is stolen, to To take precautions after damage has been done. This proverb, found in many languages, first appeared in a French collection of ca. 1190 and found its way into a Middle English manuscript, Douce MS, by about 1350. It has been repeated ever since. Stanley Walker poked fun at it (The Uncanny Knacks of Mr. Doherty, 1941): “He locked the stable door while they were putting the cart before the horse.” See also: after, barn, bolt, door, horse, lock, stable The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer See also: lock the barn door after the horse has bolted lock the barn/stable door after the horse has bolted/is stolen, to lock the stable door after the horse is stolen stolen closing the stable door after the horse has bolted close the barn door after the horse has bolted close the stable door after the horse has bolted shut/lock/close the stable door after the horse has bolted shut the stable door after the horse has bolted mend one's fences
随便看	blow your/somebody's mind blow your stack blow your top blow Zs blow Z's blubber blubber gut blubber gut(s) blubber guts blue blue and white come down hard come down hard on someone come down hard on (someone or something) come down in buckets come down in the world come down like a ton of bricks come down on come down on (one) like a ton of bricks come down on someone like a ton of bricks come down on (someone or something) come down on the side of (someone or something) come down/out on the side of somebody/something come down the pike come down to