make oneself scarce
Meaning: To leave quickly, or to keep out of the way.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “When the dishes needed washing, my brother made himself scarce.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: "Scarce" means hard to find, so making oneself scarce is becoming hard to find. The phrase is recorded from the early 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: mandarse a mudar — literally: to order oneself to move
- Dutch: zich uit de voeten maken — literally: to make oneself away with the feet
More idioms — Daily Life
- no holds barred — With no rules or restraints.
- jump at the chance — To accept an opportunity eagerly and at once.
- a matter of life and death — Something of the greatest possible seriousness.
- rough and ready — Crude but good enough for the purpose.
- keep up appearances — To behave as if nothing is wrong, to protect one's reputation.
- at the stroke of a pen — By one quick official decision.
More English idioms
- one's heart sinks — To feel sudden disappointment or dread.
- shoulder to shoulder — Side by side, working together.
- grow like wildfire — To spread very fast.
- not on your life — Absolutely not.
- tread carefully — To act with great caution in a delicate situation.
- pull the other one — Said to someone telling an obvious lie.