Never bolt your door with a boiled carrot

Yes, I know it sounds like I made this up, but “never bolt your door with a boiled carrot” is a real saying. It’s a proverb, or a popular phrase that expresses a commonplace truth or useful advice. In this case, it is an Irish proverb. Of course, it is highly unlikely that anyone would actually try to bolt their door with a boiled carrot, rather, the implied meaning behind this proverb is that you should act carefully, and plan ahead for any potential future problems. If you were to bolt your door with a boiled carrot, anyone, friend or foe, would be able to enter your home with ease, whereas if you had a proper lock and bolt on your door, you would be quite safe.

Here at Shaker Doors, we do sell a wide range of door locks and latches, so there’s no need for you to attempt to bolt your door with a boiled carrot! Below are a few more door-related proverbs from around the world. What do you think they mean? As always, comments are welcome.

The best kind of closed door is the one you can leave unlocked. (China)

Never open a door that you can’t lock again. (Iran)

Beware of the door with too many keys. (Portugual)