ocarina, batten down the hatches

For the moment, let's use a single program as a case study. It's one of the most magical programs I've ever seen for the iPhone, and probably for any computer. It's Ocarina, named after the ancient clay wind instrument.

Uncompromising Leadership in Tough Times

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6108.htmlAs companies batten down the hatches, we need leaders who do not compromise on standards and values that are essential in flush times. Fortunately, such leaders do exist. Their insights can help other organizations weather the current crisis, says HBS professor Michael Beer. Q&A

batten down the hatches
1 to fasten the entrances to the lower part of a ship using wooden boards

2 [I] prepare for a difficult situation:
When you're coming down with flu all you can do is batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass.

Batten down the hatches
Prepare for trouble, as in Here comes the boss--batten down the hatches. This term originated in the navy, where it signified preparing for a storm by fastening down canvas over doorways and hatches (openings) with strips of wood called battens. [Late 1800s]




flush (EMPTY)
verb [I or T]
1 If you flush a toilet, or if a toilet flushes, its contents empty and it fills with water again:
My children never flush the loo/toilet after them.
I can't get the toilet to flush.

2 flush sth down the toilet to get rid of something by putting it in the toilet and operating the toilet:
I tend to flush old medicines down the toilet.

flush
noun [C]


ocarina (ŏkərē'nə) , musical wind instrument with eight finger holes and two thumb holes, rather egg-shaped, and made of metal, terra-cotta or plastic. Unlike other wind instuments, it produces pure tones that lack overtones. It was invented in the late 19th cent. in Italy and is popular with amateurs for its relative simplicity and low cost. It is occasionally called a “sweet potato” because of its shape.