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[00:07.68]And now, Words and Their Stories,

[00:11.40]from VOA Learning English.

[00:14.64]A fort is a place of protection.

[00:23.08]It is a fortified structure

[00:25.88]with strong walls and doors,

[00:28.20]complex locks, barriers,

[00:31.36]and other security features.

[00:35.04]It is used as a defense.

[00:37.64]It is a place often protected by soldiers

[00:41.64]and occupied by officials.

[00:45.16]Someone always is in charge

[00:47.64]or responsible for a fort.

[00:51.52]And that is where our expression comes in.

[00:55.08]If someone asked you to hold down the fort,

[00:59.64]you are responsible for a place

[01:02.24]while those who supervise it are away.

[01:05.72]In other words,

[01:07.76]you are in charge!

[01:09.40]You are the chief!

[01:12.64]For example,

[01:14.00]once a friend and I were at my house

[01:17.48]preparing for a party.

[01:19.56]But then I got an emergency call from my brother

[01:23.96]who needed a ride.

[01:26.64]So, my friend held down the fort at home

[01:29.88]and welcomed party guests

[01:32.08]while I helped my brother.

[01:35.40]Sometimes we just say hold the fort.

[01:39.16]This also means staying behind to take care of things.

[01:44.52]Again, whoever is holding the fort is in charge.

[01:49.36]They are responsible for what happens.

[01:52.48]And they may be responsible for the safety of others.

[01:58.56]For example:

[01:59.96]Marion is the most responsible of the group.

[02:04.00]So we left her at the house to hold the fort.

[02:09.40]There is another way we use the word "fort"

[02:12.48]in an expression.

[02:15.24]In the American state of Kentucky,

[02:17.92]there is a famous fort – Fort Knox.

[02:22.92]Fort Knox is a protected place in the United States.

[02:27.16]Why is it protected?

[02:30.16]Fort Knox is a place where lots of gold is kept.

[02:35.88]Needless to say, it is heavily guarded.

[02:39.28]So, when we want to describe a place

[02:43.28]that is hard to get into,

[02:45.80]we can compare it to Fort Knox.

[02:50.12]A place that is like Fort Knox

[02:53.12]is inaccessible

[02:55.00]usually because it is locked

[02:58.20]or heavily guarded.

[03:01.20]We can also say a place is as safe

[03:05.00]or as secure as Fort Knox.

[03:09.04]Now, let's hear these two expressions

[03:12.00]used by two friends.

[03:15.28]A: Hi, Sam! What brings you to my place?

[03:18.92]B: Well, Maxine is holding down the fort at home.

[03:23.28]So, I thought I'd stop by to see if you want to hang out.

[03:28.40]A: Sure! How about a walk around the neighborhood?

[03:32.24]I feel like I've been sitting all day.

[03:35.80]B: Sound good.

[03:37.40]Let's walk past that construction project down the street.

[03:41.40]A: They've been working on that house for months.

[03:44.40]I'm curious about the renovations.

[03:48.08]B: Maybe we can sneak into the place

[03:50.20]and look in the windows.

[03:52.16]A: That's a really bad idea.

[03:54.52]The property is locked up tighter than Fort Knox

[03:59.44]and probably has many security cameras.

[04:04.72]If you sneak in ... you're on your own.

[04:08.96]And that's all the time

[04:11.20]we have for this Words and Their Stories.

[04:13.96]Until next time ...

[04:17.00]I'm Anna Matteo.

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Words in This Story

fortified – adj.made stronger or more secure

barrier – n. something material that blocks or is intended to block passage

inaccessible – adj. not accessible

construction – n. something built or put together

renovate – v. to make like new again :put in good condition: renovation – n. the act of making new again

sneak – v. to go about in a sly or secret manner