close the stable door after the horse has bolted

English

Alternative forms

• lock the stable door after the horse has bolted, shut the stable door after the horse has bolted, close the stable door after the horse has been stolen, lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Verb

close the stable door after the horse has bolted

1. (idiomatic) To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred.

See also

• that ship has sailed
• too little, too late

Translations

Translations

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亡羊補牢／亡羊补牢 (zh) (wángyángbǔláo)

• Finnish: haukotella kissan suussa
• French: c’est de la moutarde après dîner (fr)
• German: please add this translation if you can
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: по свадба тапани (po svadba tapani)
• Russian: после пожара да за водой (posle požara da za vodoj) (lit: fetching water after the fire)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: วัวหายล้อมคอก (wuua-hǎai-lɔ́ɔm-kɔ̂ɔk)