IdiomNature
English
Englishdo a moonlight flit
Meaning: To leave one's home secretly at night, usually to avoid paying rent or debts.
Example: “The tenants did a moonlight flit, leaving behind a broken sofa and six months' rent.”
Origin: British English: "flit" means to move house in Scots and northern dialects, and moving by moonlight avoided the landlord. The phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Déménager à la cloche de bois Literally: To move out by the wooden bell
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