
IdiomDaily Life
English
pull up stakes
Meaning: To collect one's household belongings and leave one's house or property; to move to another place.
Example: “After thirty years in the city, they pulled up stakes and moved to the coast.”
Equivalents in other languages
German: die Zelte abbrechen Literally: To break apart the tents
French: Plier bagage Literally: To fold up baggage
Origin: American English from the 18th century. Settlers marked land claims, and campers fixed tents, with wooden stakes, which were pulled up when they moved on.
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