Bridging the breach!

Bridging the breach.

what does this expression mean?

Hi tasneemspring,

Metaphorical speaking.

The is a problem, misunderstanding, confrontation, difference of opinion, challenge, difficulty, adversity, hardship, setback, hitch, drawback, glitch, hindrance, obstruction, snag, impediment, barrier, etc.

(A breach)

And a solution or way out to it.

(A Bridge)

Regards,

José Manuel Rosón Bravo

:up: Some people may be interested to notice that the word 'breach' is related (quite closely) to the word 'break' - although the vowel sounds are different: Breach | Define Breach at Dictionary.com

b

BobK said:

:up: Some people may be interested to notice that the word 'breach' is related (quite closely) to the word 'break' - although the vowel sounds are different: Breach | Define Breach at Dictionary.com

b

Click to expand...

PS - to make the association of the words clearer: early firearms had to be loaded down the barrel - it took several seconds, maybe even minutes, to do (using a 'ramrod' - which doesn't exist as an object in today's world, but lives on in the metaphor 'straight as a ramrod', or 'ramrod-straight'*). The British army won a great advantage when they started using the new Lee Enfield breach-loading rifles. The user would break the rifle open and load the ammunition into the breach.

b
*PPS This is like several other expressions, based on now-unused firearms technology. If you save an argument for later, judging that the time is not right to use it yet, you 'keep your powder dry' (that's the gun-powder that you had to keep dry before loading it down the muzzle of your firearm). If something makes a big showy effect but has little actual result it's a 'flash in the pan' (that's the pan that held the priming charge of gunpowder, going off with a phut and a flash but not causing an explosion in the barrel.) There are probably others... (Ones that come to mind don't relate specifically to old technology - for example, when you 'let someone have it with both barrels' you use every means at your disposal against them; but some modern guns have two barrels (I think...:?)

The double-barreled shotgun is the inspiration for that phrase. It would allow you two shots before re-loading.

Pocket-sized Derringers also commonly have two barrels.

I would have thought that bridging a breach was more related to a gap in a wall, as in "Once more into the breach, dear friends."

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more

RoseSpring said:

Bridging the breach.

what does this expression mean?

Click to expand...

I am not a teacher.
according to me it means:
Sorting out differences and misunderstandings.

:up: I was talking about etymology - showing the link between the two brea* words.

b

You ALWAYS have such interesting things to add about the origins. It's something I look forward to reading!