"Katy Bar the Door" Meaning with Interesting Examples • 7ESL

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Have you ever heard someone use the phrase ‘Katy bar the door’ and wondered what they were talking about? We are going to look at what this term means and how we can use it in our conversations. We will also look into the history of the phrase and where it came from in the first place.

Katy Bar the Door

“Katy Bar the Door” Meaning

When someone uses the phrase ‘Katy bar the door’ they are saying that there is trouble or bad thing afoot.

Origin of this idiom

The true origin of this saying is not known. But there is a theory that the term derives from an old Scottish song from the 1700s called ‘get up and bar the door.’

“Katy Bar the Door” Examples

Examples in Statements

Here is an example of a statement made by a local newspaper.

‘The town is set to face a lot of bad weather, Katy bar the door.’

This is a statement made from a friend to another friend.

‘Andrew is back is town, Katy bar the door. You know how many problems he causes.’

Conversation Examples

There are many times you might hear the term ‘Katy bar the door’ in a conversation, here are some examples to show you how it might sound.

The first conversation is between two co-workers.

Person 1: “The company is losing money fast.”
Person 2: “What does that mean for us?”
Person 1: “It means we could lose our jobs, Katy bar the door.”

This next conversation is between a father and son.

Person 1: “I have been spending time with my new friend this week.”
Person 2: “What’s the name of this friend?”
Person 1: ” Michael Humphreys.”
Person 2: “Katy bar the door! I’ve heard about him, he’s nothing but trouble.”

Other Ways to Say the Phrase

There are other ways in which you can express the meaning of the term ‘Katy bar the door.’ Here are some examples of things you could say that would carry the same meaning,

There is trouble ahead
Beware what lies ahead
Trouble is coming

Liam Daniel

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