Storming the Castle Meaning
Definition: To attack and take a castle.
Origin of Storm the Castle
One of the meanings of storm is to use force to attack and capture. This military sense of the word originated in the 1600s. It likely came from the sudden fierceness of a meteorological storm and how it related to the force and speed of the attack on the enemy.
The literal meaning of this expression, therefore, is to rush upon a castle and try to take it by force. People could use it metaphorically nowadays for another forceful attack, such as a political or professional one.
This expression also has become a popular catchphrase from the movie The Princess Bride from the year 1987. In the movie, an elderly couple tries to revive the mostly dead hero. The hero and his two comrades want to go rescue a princess from a castle. As they leave, the elderly man tells them, “Have fun storming the castle!” The old couple doesn’t believe they hero and his friends have any chance of success.
Nowadays, many people use this catchphrase as a way to say goodbye, or to say they don’t think an endeavor will succeed. They also sometimes use it merely to reference the movie.
Examples of Storm the Castle
In this example, a woman uses the expression to reference the movie and to say goodbye at the same time.
Rodrigo: Do you have plans for Halloween?
Alisha: Not yet. What about you?
Rodrigo: I think I’ll dress up as Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride. In fact, I’m about to go look for a costume right now. I’ll see you later!
Alisha: See you later! Have fun storming the castle!
In the example below, two siblings are discussing their dog’s behavior.
Luis: Why does Rover keep pulling me towards that dumpster?
Stephanie: There’s a feral cat colony over there. Someone built a little structure to shelter the cats, and that same person regularly puts food out. Rover wants to go attack it. He thinks he’s storming the castle.
More Examples
This excerpt is about a popular app for saving money with coupons.
- “It’s like what Netflix does. They don’t say, ‘Here are 6,000 titles, have fun storming the castle.’ They say, ‘Here are eight titles we think you’ll like because you watched this.’ ” –Denver Post
This excerpt is about a famous catchphrase from a cult classic.
- As with “Spinal Tap,” its endlessly quotable dialogue (“Have fun storming the castle”) became embedded in popular culture. And the film found fans in high places, namely the Vatican (Pope John Paul II) and the White House (Bill Clinton). –Chicago Tribune
Summary
The phrase storming the castle can be literal, in the sense of trying to take over a castle. It can also be metaphorical or part of a famous quote from a cult classic.
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