IdiomAnimals
English
Englishhightail it
Meaning: To leave in a great hurry.
Example: “When the dog started barking, the raccoons hightailed it out of the yard.”
Origin: American English from the late 19th century: animals such as deer and rabbits raise their tails as they bolt.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Prendre la poudre d'escampette Literally: To take the escampette powder
More English idioms
- diddly-squat Nothing at all.
- take a hike Go away; get lost.
- have a nerve To be rude or bold in a way that shocks others.
- nobody's fool A sensible person who is not easily tricked.
- swing the lead To avoid work, especially by pretending to be ill.
- get on someone's nerves To annoy someone.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- He that doth not lend doth lose his friend. Refusing to help friends financially may cost you their friendship and trust.
- He would not lend his knife to the devil to stab himself. Even the self-interested refuse to enable their own destruction, showing that survival in…
- A liar should have a good memory. Falsehoods require constant mental effort to maintain consistency, making deception exhau…
Keep exploring