Emily in San Diego, California, wonders about the phrase to dog, meaning “to close and secure” as in to dog a door. In a nautical context, the phrase dog the hatches means to secure them with a bolt or handle designed for that purpose. This phrase probably derives from the idea of securing the hatch as tightly as a tenacious dog locking something in its jaws. To undog a door or hatch is to open it. This is part of a complete episode.
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Listening to this I wonder if “Pawl” has some relation to this word.
“A pawl is a mechanical component that engages with another component to prevent movement in one direction”
As a longtime listener it is a dangerous game to draw these conclusions
Is Pawl related to Dog?